Rusted Cars and Court Room Polka
by LaraIsAwkward
Summary: **TEMP HIATUS FOR EDITS** Dr. Bella Swan goes to court to fight a traffic ticket where she meets Officer Do Me Hard. Alice, Bella's pot-smoking roommate, thinks it's more than just a one-night-stand. A story of finding love in New York City.
1. In Court With Food Then Sex?

"The Indies First Time Writer Challenge" One-Shot Contest

Title: Rusted Cars and Court Room Polka

Pen name: LaraIsAwkward

Primary Players: Bella/Edward

Rating: M

Word Count:

Disclaimer:

**Things I Own:** Copious amounts of biology textbooks, enough wine to keep me in a drunken state for 38 weeks straight and a collection of Discovery Channel specials on DVD.

**Things I Don't Own:** A PC, sweatpants with supposedly "cute" sayings strewn across the ass or Twilight. Damn it.

A/N: Oh hai! This fic was brought to you by the letter 'M'. If you're not old enough to purchase porn, a lottery ticket or cigarettes in most states - Click the little "X" button in the corner. * waits * Oh, you are? Then, by all means, please continue…

BPOV

_I hate driving in Manhattan._

"Fucking hell, I do NOT have the patience for this shit today..." I mumbled to myself as I pulled into a surprisingly vacant parking spot on the street. Turning the car off, I reached over to the passenger side of my red Chevy pick-up to gather my things. I opened my wallet, quickly checking for all of the necessary items before going into the Manhattan South Traffic Court on Rector Street.

_License? Check. Insurance? Check. Registration? Check. Fucking Ticket? Check. Dignity? Nope_.

"I must have left it in my _other_ purse, I suppose..." I said to no one but myself. Mustering up as much energy as one could after working for twenty-six hours straight, I hopped out of my truck and headed into the building.

As the doors opened, I looked around at the twenty or so people waiting in the lobby by a set of metal detectors. The line extended all the way around the wall of the lobby, only to end directly in front of where I had entered. _Great. The whole world is fighting tickets today. And my last name starts with 'S'. Fuck. My. Life. _I stood by the doors, drinking in the plethora of New York City's fine citizens, yet I quickly directed my attention to the situation on my immediate left. I couldn't possibly look away as the flash of fire engine red caught my eye. A girl, in a skin-tight red pleather dress, tied up the sides with what looked like shoelaces, was getting her ass chewed out by an older woman, who I could only assume, to be her mother.

"...I mean, what were you thinking Jessica? How could you have been so stupid? Did you not read the sign in the dressing room that said 'Fitting rooms are monitored by same sex personnel'? The store said that you even told them how many items you brought in with you! How did you ever expect to walk into a dressing room with ten items and come out with two? Did you think they wouldn't notice? God, how could you have been so thoughtless?" exclaimed the mother to Jessica, the "hooker" in red.

_Oh Jessica. Is she going to break out the baby powder next? Keep your pimp hand strong, Momma. _

Struggling to keep the amusement off of my face and failing miserably, my eyes darted to the next unsuspecting victim. A man, in jeans, work boots and a tool belt was speaking animatedly on his cell phone next to the hooker and her "pimp".

"Nah, seriously bro, you gotta come out tonight! I bet all the sweet ass honeys are dying for my dick." He paused, wiping his forehead with the back of his glove-covered hand - effectively adding whatever black substance was on the glove onto his face. _Its not Ash Wednesday... "_Fuck that you fuckin' pansy. Stop being such a pussy, change your god damn tampon and get ready. We're fuckin' tearin' that shit up tonight. Okay?... Alright, I'll see you then." he said, slamming his phone shut and putting it away in his pocket. _What a fucking tool bag. Haha, tool bag. Construction... I crack myself up. _

Increasing amounts of people slowly filed into the small lobby of the courthouse during the tool bag's thrilling conversation. Looking around, I saw that there were almost forty people in the small space now. The sound of opening doors in front of me caught my attention and I saw a short, fat and balding man in uniform step out of the courtroom.

"Okay everyone. We are just about to get started here today, but a few rules first," the officer said, his nasally voice carrying through the lobby, "Everyone needs to line up, single file before they go through the metal detectors. All men need to tuck their shirts into their pants at this time to ensure that no one is concealing weapons."

Several snickers came from men in the lobby and the officer glared in their direction.

"Also, all cell phones must be completely shut off before entering the courtroom and remain as such until you are outside. _Off_, people. Not on vibrate, not on silent. Off. If we so much as hear vibrating, we will remove the cell phone from your possession. This happened to at least three people yesterday. We do not play around here. So, please shut them off now and form the line. Thank you." he stated with a no nonsense look on his face.

Everyone moved into a line and started walking towards the metal detectors. I removed all of my jewelry to avoid setting them off, and started shuffling towards the entrance of the courtroom. Once we were all inside, I found a seat on the left side of the room, a few rows from the front as the first few rows were reserved for lawyers. Settling in my seat, I watched Mr. Village People himself make his way through the middle aisle of the courtroom and took a seat directly behind me.

_It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A... Where's the rest of the crew big guy? They ditch you to go and get clean and have a good meal?_

The running commentary I kept stringing along in my mind was the only thing keeping my nerves in check. There had never been any reason for me to be in a courtroom before, ironic though, as I'd spent the majority of my adolescence surrounded by law enforcement. Charlie, my father and Chief of Police in my small hometown of Forks, Washington was always dragging me back and forth between the station; I came to live with him after my mother, Renee, had passed away. I was fourteen. Running my hands through my long brown hair, I fought to keep my mind on the present.

"Mmmmmmmm." The sound of a low moan sounded from behind me and I would have believed I was imagining the noise if it wasn't for the repetition. "Uhhhnnnn, muhhhhhh, nnnnuuuuhhhh."

_Um, what?_

Removing my hand from my hair, I pulled both arms together and in my lap. The moaning stopped. Nervousness still ebbed just beneath the surface when a heavy wooden door to my left opened.

The balding officer made his way through the courtroom and up to the front of the room. "All rise, the Honorable Judge Ateara residing."

Judge Ateara was an intimidating man. His body exuded an air of confidence and wisdom that gained your respect immediately without needing words. Appearing to be of Native American descent, his features were drawn but remained open; his eyes dark but stood out against his wet sand toned skin.

Taking up residence behind the large stage podium, Judge Ateara sounded the gallet twice to command the room's undivided attention. "You may sit down."

The judge continued on to explain the rights of all persons within the courtroom. All were encouraged to think clearly about the decisions to be made today and if we were unsure, to request time to seek legal counsel. The lobby doors opened into the courtroom but the audience did not dare look away from the Judge. A quiet hum took residence deep in my bones as footsteps drew closer to my row. The vibration was not heard like the groans behind me. This was a feeling, a physical tension overwrought by peace and comfort. It was as if my body was engaged in fight or flight but wrapped and contained in a blanket of calm.

The feeling intensified as the footfalls of two different individuals, for their steps were polar opposites – distinct, as they made their way closer. As the two men, walked by, my heart pounded in my chest like a door-knocker on Halloween; painful in its abuse but welcomed every single time.

In my periphery, I observed one man, older, with a tan suit, brown leather dress shoes and a briefcase in the hand closest to me. Making his way quickly past me toward the front of the room, the briefcase in his hand landed with a quiet thud on the desk slightly off to the right in the front of the aisle. "My apologies, Your Honor. The officer behind me was informing me of the possibility that a witness may be unable to attend this court session."

"That is fine, Prosecutor. Please, call your first case." Judge Ateara requested in a calm, reassuring tone.

Excitement and security still resonated within my deepest depths and my heartbeat had not lessened its increased rhythm. It was as if my hand was clutching an ungrounded lamppost, knowing there was little chance of danger but my mind was enthralled by all that could be. Labored breathing brought my attention front and center, and I looked over my shoulder to discover the source.

From the blurred edges of my vision, I could make out the unmistakable navy blue of a NYPD officer's uniform. Shiny black boots gave way to closely cut pants, donning large pockets on either side of the legs directly above the knees. A thick black belt held a firearm, extra ammunition and a large flashlight. A small silver keychain hung from a carabineer off of his belt loop, drawing attention to his slender, yet masculine hips. Taking a moment to focus on his legs, I could see the defined outlines of strong thigh muscles pressing against the fabric. Moving my eyes ever so slightly upwards, the fly closure stood out and away, prominent against the otherwise flat-fronted material. The uniform was cut closely to his torso and displayed a form that most artists would die to re-create. Badges, a nametag with fine lettering, too small for me to read and a slim black tie splayed across his chest in beautiful symmetry.

_Slurp. This is just his body. He's probably a brown paper bag man…_

Seeing as it was winter, his uniform was long-sleeved, much to my dismay. Due to the angle, I shifted myself slightly to be able to gaze at his face. A perfectly formed Adam's apple was above an enticing dip in his throat. Skin, an argent alabaster with a slight rose tint, gradually darkened and what seemed almost a blush, climbed up his throat. The strong jawbones gave way to cheekbones carved out of ivory and displayed his bright, wide eyes in excellence. The officer was still a large enough distance that I couldn't quite make out the color. They appeared to be a greenish-blue but I wasn't positive.

OhmydearJesusfuck.

Unable to contain the small gasp that left my lips, his eyes quickly caught mine and my pulse soared. I quickly turned to the front of the courtroom, my face felt like I had fallen asleep in the sun, in the middle of the ocean for hours. Panties became uncomfortably damp as I replayed the assessment of the man behind closed eyes.

Footsteps began inching closer and the quiet hum progressed to feeling like a live wire was somehow inserted through my veins. Eyes still closed, I felt the air shift as he passed my seat, rewarding me with the scent of cinnamon, ocean, sand and sunshine.

_God, he smells like an apple orchard erupted in the middle of a beach. Gah._

"Mmmmhhhmmmmm."

_What. The. Fuck. _

"Unnnngggghhhhh."

_Seriously?_

"Huhhhhhhhhhh."

The moaning effectively broke through my speeding heartbeat, dulling the hum within my bones as I heard the sounds from behind me again. I fought the laugh threatening to break from my lips. Forcing my eyes to open once again, I stared, unashamed at the delectable backside of Officer Fuckhot. Court was now in full session, the judge talking to a small boy and his mother while the prosecutor was reading over pages in a file.

"Alec, I understand that you are scared right now, but I can assure you that nothing bad is going to happen to you." Judge Ateara's voice carried over the speakers within the walls of the courtroom.

"But, b-but, b-but, my teacher said that boys who do bad things go to jail with the rest of the bad people," crying, the little boy, Alec, grabbed onto his mother's leg, "I don't want to be a bad people Mommy! I'm sorry!"

"Mrs. Volterra, I can see that Alec clearly understands the weight of this infraction. Please, in the future, remind him that riding a bicycle without a helmet is against the law." The prosecutor said. "Judge, it is my recommendation to the court that we let the child go with a warning." Closing the file and setting it on the desk in front of him, he picked up another file, having finished his part with the case.

"I would agree with the prosecutor. Due to the minor's age, a record of this court session will be kept on file until the day said minor turns eighteen. Pending no other charges, this incident will be wiped clean." Judge Ateara said, finishing with the case number and other details before calling the next case.

_Fucking Christ. I'm going to be here forever. What I wouldn't give to use my damn phone._

Digging through the pockets of my lab coat to see if I could find anything remotely entertaining, I was reminded that I looked like complete shit, still dressed in my uniform from work.

_Way to go, dickweed. Scrubs and Crocs? Could you look any frumpier? _

Realizing I could do absolutely fucking nothing about it now, I gazed back in Officer Sex On Legs' direction. He had moved to stand on the opposite side of the courtroom, close to the swinging door blocking several steps up towards the Judge's seat. Leaning on his one elbow, the ankles looked as if they must have been crossed as the bulge between his legs was visible even from my seat. Eyes facing downwards, I could see him playing with his phone in his hand, fingers moving furiously across the keypad and my clit twitched.

_I'll occupy those fingers for you…_

Shifting uncomfortably in my seat, Officer Fuck Me Please looked up, just as a pained expression tore across my face. Our eyes met briefly, the current raced under my skin and I bit my lip to keep from groaning out loud. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the seat. A strange garbling sound reverberated from what I assumed to be Mr. Fix It. More moaning ensued followed by the undeniable sound of denim being caressed roughly.

_No. Fucking. Way. That fucking asshat is touching himself? In court?_

The unmistakable feeling of someone invading my personal space caused my body to shiver and inch forward. Head being pulled back slightly, I came to the conclusion that the sexual deviant seated behind me, had been touching my hair. Sweeping my hair off of my neck, briefly enjoying the sensation of running my hands through my silken strands, I pulled it into a messy ponytail. I peeked back over to Officer Fuck Me Please only to see him staring directly at me. Turning away, embarrassed, I vaguely registered the asshole in the background sniffing the air where my hair had just been.

Time moved at an unbelievably slow pace, causing me to nearly fall asleep on more than one occasion. But, the routine stayed on course. Officer Fuckhot would make eye contact, I'd look away and Bob the Builder would sniff me, moan and continue touching himself.

As we were approaching the two-hour mark, Officer Do Me Please glanced at his phone and made his way swiftly up the aisle and out of the courtroom. After the remaining twelve people, the court staff and all in attendance had been here for exactly two hours and seventeen minutes; Judge Ateara held his hand up to the prosecutor.

"This court will now take a fifteen minute intermission before returning back to the matters at hand," the Judge pushed his chair away from the podium, "Court is adjourned for fifteen minutes." He said, making a move to stand up.

"All rise," the baldy cop stated, "Please return in fifteen minutes."

Sitting down once again, I reached for my purse to pull out my cell phone, thankful for the distraction that was my Blackberry.

Bob the Builder leaned forward and fixated his mouth next to my left ear. He was close enough that I could hear him moving his tongue across his teeth. His hands were placed on the back of the bench on either side of my shoulders. To say that I was uncomfortable with the arrangement was an understatement. I could hear him breathing through his nose, and realized that he was still sniffing me.

_Um, is he serious right now? Did he skip lessons on personal boundaries?_

"Hey Doc, so I'm an organ donor, need anything?" He asked, and his nasally voice made my ears hurt.

"Excuse me?" I exclaimed, disbelieving.

"Sweet cheeks, I think those scrubs look so hot on you, but they would look better on my floor," he continued. I turned to look at him, a look of disgust and horror plastered plain as day on my face.

"Oh, you mean your bedroom at your parent's house? You cannot be serious right now." My eyebrows raised in shock as I took in his features. This man could not be farther from attractive. He still had the black mark on his forehead from when he wiped his hand over it back in the lobby. Smelling like a combination of ball sweat, dog urine and brass, I fought to keep my lunch in my stomach.

"Don't be like that hotness, I know you want to ride the Mike express train to Pleasuretown. Come on, let's blow this joint and you can give me a full body exam," he said, licking his lips and suggestively waggling his eyebrows. I stood, and made my way to the aisle.

"Okay, Mike, is it?" He nodded. "Well Mike, I'm heading outside for the remainder of this break." Mike stood up, looking very excited. My hand shot out in front of me to stop him. "Alone. And, if you value the possibility of procreating in the future, I suggest you do not follow me. Also, find another damn seat." He opened his mouth once more, not seeming to take the threat seriously.

"So Doc, how do you take your eggs in the morning?" he questioned, unrelenting in his efforts.

"Un-Fucking-Fertilized!" I screamed and stormed down the aisle. Once outside, I glanced over my shoulder to check if Mike had followed. After a few brief moments and no sight of Mike the Wonder Doofus, I walked to my truck, only to see that I had a parking ticket underneath one of the windshield wipers.

_This cannot be happening. This absolutely cannot be happening. Fucking SERIOUSLY? _

Grabbing the ticket off of the windshield, I climbed into my truck and slammed the door much harder than necessary. There was a large part of my brain that wanted to just put the key in the ignition and drive home to wallow in my misery but the sane part of me won the argument. I picked up the phone to call Rosalie instead.

"Whaddup, bitch?" Rose greeted me and I quickly calmed down.

"You would never believe the fucking day I've had Rose. Honestly, I'm about five seconds away from being arrested for mass murder in the middle of a fucking courtroom."

"Wow. That good, huh? Tell Mama all about it child." She said, the southern drawl coming out, more pronounced than usual.

"Everything is so much more exaggerated due to my lovely lack of sleep. Anyway, so I was on call Tuesday and of course I get a phone call to come in early after working for thirty hours straight. Apparently, there was some massive building collapse uptown and the ER was swarming in patients. I had absolutely no time to breathe and have been working since one in the afternoon yesterday. So, I left the hospital to get to court on time and I barely made it. Fucking bumper-to-bumper traffic on the way down here, as usual. Anyway, I get to the fucking courthouse and luck was on my side in terms of parking, or so I thought, and I rush inside.

"It was like the entire peanut gallery of New York showed up today. We went in at, like, three, and I still have yet to be called for my case. Then, of course, Officer Fuck Me Now has been looking all kinds of delicious this whole time and I can't do anything but stare. He's fucking caught me a few times, I swear. Oh, and Bob the Builder behind me keeps fucking moaning like a cat in heat and sniffing my god damn hair! But, wait…there's more." I can hear Rose trying to be quiet throughout my rant but she's snorting in the background.

I kept going. "Then, he fucking hits on me, speaking purely in shitty pickup lines he must have learned from god knows where; I blow up at him, haul ass outta court to get to my truck and I come out to a fucking parking ticket on my car!" I scream out. My hands trembled with the effort to keep myself calm. Glancing at the clock, I realize I only had a few minutes before I need to be back inside.

"Okay, okay, slow down Bubbles, just take a breath. There's a lot going on here darlin' and I gotta take a sec' to process." Sounds of deep breathing came through the phone as my teeth bit down on my lower lip. I was forcing my brain to try and recall the projectile word spewage from the last ten minutes.

_Fuck. I mentioned Officer Spontanenous Twat Spasm, didn't I?_

Drawing my knees to my chest and leaning my shins against the steering wheel, I heard Rose clear her throat through the speaker on the phone.

"Well, well, well, Dr. Irish Spring, I apologize for your horrendous introduction to our nation's fine legal system," Warning Rose I only had a few more minutes before I had to go back inside, she continued, "Okay, I'll make it short. Sorry to hear the hospital called but if they hadn't, people would be dead and it would be your fault. Bumper-to-bumper traffic blows but this is fucking New York City dipshit; traffic shouldn't even register on your damn radar. Much like tourists, noses to the sky, blocking the fucking sidewalks in Times Square. Now, you're in traffic court in lower Manhattan, did you really expect the graduating class of Harvard to be in attendance? Tell Bob the Builder that you'll rip off his dick, fuck him in the ass with it, then staple it to his forehead if he doesn't back the fuck up. Parking tickets are pointless and no one gives a shit in this city anyway."

"There's no way I can convince you to not acknowledge the one comment you've yet to speak about, is there?" Not even God in heaven could stop Rose from asking about Officer Yes, Please but it didn't stop me from crossing my fingers regardless.

"Not a snowball's chance in Hell, Dr. Dove." She waited, as we both knew it was unnecessary to elaborate on the subject at hand.

Sighing deeply, I put my head down on my knees and started, "Okay, so there's this cop, in court and he is honestly, the single most attractive man I've ever set eyes on. Tall, lean but muscular, like a swimmer almost and a facial structure that could be used as a model of perfection in plastic surgery classrooms worldwide. I swear, Rose, if the man held up a sign that said 'Fuck?' I would strip in the middle of that fucking courtroom."

Mmm, bending over the prosecutor's desk as Officer Fuckhot took me from behind…

"Bella! Bella! Hey, Soap N' Suds!" I shook my head to bring myself back to the present.

"Yeah, hey. Sorry Rose. Got lost there for a minute." I said, sheepishly.

"I'll fuckin' say. I'm demanding deets when you get back tonight. I gotta head back into the office, but I'll catch up with you later." The clicking of Rose's heels on cement and beeping of keypads reminded me that I needed to get back to court.

"I should head back inside too. See you later?" Getting out of my truck, I headed back towards the courthouse. Opening the lobby doors, I saw that I was going inside right on time.

_Finally, something I did right today. _

"M'kay Bells. Talk to you later. Bye!" She hung up the phone before I said goodbye and I quickly shut my own phone off. The last thing I needed was for my cell phone to get confiscated. Making my way back to my seat, I saw Bob the Builder had moved to the other side of the room, only to seat himself behind Jessica, in all her pleather glory.

_Well there's a match made on the street corner. _

Chuckling to myself, I settled into my seat in time to hear the judge calling the court to order.

------------------

Forty-five mind-numbingly long minutes later, I saw the judge lean down to speak to Officer Do Me Please, who had returned a few moments earlier only to walk to the lobby doors a few seconds later.

"Ms. Swan? Ms. Isabella Swan?" A velvety voice asked the remaining members of the court from the back of the room. "Could you meet me in the lobby please?"

_Ooh, what I wouldn't give for him to say that again, only in bed…with him on top._

I turned around in time to see the double doors closing. Quickly rising from my seat, I walked to and out of the doors to see none other than Officer Fuck Me Please standing next to the metal detectors. My breath caught in my throat as I saw him up close for the first time.

Bronze hair stood in complete disarray and looked like he had just rolled out of bed after an all night orgy. His dark lashes rested close to his slightly blushed cheeks. I must have made some sort of sound as he looked up and I was met with the greenest eyes I'd ever seen. They were darker than the most precious emerald at the center and faded into a jade-grey. If you had ever watched the sky directly before a tornado, you can imagine this almost indescribable color.

"Are you Isabella Swan?" I could see his lips moving but it didn't register my need to respond. The voice was deep, soft and hypnotizing. "Uh, Miss, are you Isabella Swan?"

_Fucking respond idiot!_

"Yes. I'm Isabella Swan. What can I do to you? Fuck, I mean, what can I do for you?" I said, stammering, my cheeks getting hotter with every passing second.

"Ms. Swan, I do apologize for the inconvenience but we will be unable to hear your case today. Unfortunately, I just received word from the officer on your case that he has been detained. Since he will be unable to make it here today, I just spoke to the judge and he has agreed to see your case another day, " he said with regret. I could feel my anger brewing underneath my skin.

_This is fucking bullshit! B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T. I've been here for three fucking hours after a twenty six hour shift at the fucking hospital only to be told by Officer Do-Me-Hard that I have to come back?! This asshole has been looking like fucking sex on a god damn stick while the reject construction worker from the Village People has been breathing down my neck this whole time? Oh, and need I mention the irony of the fucktastic parking ticket I acquired on my car during my stay here in the seventh circle of hell? You have got to be fucking kidding me!_

Lifting my head up to tell Officer Asshat that I didn't have time to reschedule my case, I saw a look on his face only to be described as shock and amusement.

_Oh no._

"Did I, uh, just...umm...say that out loud?" I squeaked.

"Yeah. You did." He said, amusement still plastered to his features. Looking down at my hands, I begged the ground to swallow me whole.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to say all of that. Its been a really long couple of days and..." I trailed off, face still lobster red. He bent down to meet my gaze and break my mind's plea with the floor to eat me alive.

"Don't worry about it. It is not uncommon for people to yell at me while I'm at work. Cop, remember? My presence is not usually considered a good thing." He chuckled. I raised my head at the sound of his laugh, and he rose to full height.

"I guess I can understand that. I'm reasonably biased though. My father is the Chief of Police back home. So, normally, I'm quite pleasant around law enforcement." I replied. "Again, I'm sorry."

"The Chief of Police? Really? Where is home?" he asked

"Home is here. Charlie, however, is in Forks. It's a small town in Washington State."

"I'm glad to hear that home is on the East Coast now, Isabella." he said, softly.

_Cue knee buckle here. _

"Bella." I looked down at the floor again, trying to control my nerves.

"Excuse me?" He used his thumb and index finger under my chin to keep eye contact. My face burned from where he touched it, lighting the skin ablaze.

"Bella. My name. Only my father uses Isabella. Even then, it is only when I've done something wrong." Looking away, I glanced at the doors, quickly contemplating whether or not to make a run for it.

"Bella. Fitting. Well, Bella, I'm Edward Cullen. Only my brother uses Officer Do Me Hard, and that's just when he's being a dick." He chuckled.

"Yeah, umm... Sorry? Can we pretend that I never said any of that?" I pleaded.

"Please, stop apologizing. Like I said, I'm used to it. To be honest, I feel pretty awful about the whole situation. But, one question... The Village People?" He asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Yes. The Village People. Well, just one member specifically, the construction worker. There was this guy when I first walked in, I heard him on the phone sounding like he dropped out of some god awful rap video. Casanova, he is not. Then, he sat behind me in the courtroom. Have you ever seen the silly children's cartoon Hey Arnold!?" He nodded. "Remember the creepy guy with the glasses that used to breathe heavily behind Helga? Well, that's what I've been listening to for the last few hours. That and he was sniffing my hair. This was, of course, before his ridiculous pick up attempt." I said, disbelieving. When I glanced over at Edward, I saw him doubled over with laughter. "It's not funny!"

Laughing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Its just, I thought that was what he was doing, but I wasn't sure. Poor guy. I take it you weren't interested?" he said, smile still on his face.

"Not in the slightest." I responded.

"Not your type?" he asked.

"Sleezy construction workers? No." I stated. There was an odd moment of quiet between the two of us, not uncomfortable, just odd. Edward's hand raised to wrap around the back of his neck and a nervous look ran across his features.

"Would I be considered your type, Bella?

_Does me thinking that I want to fuck you six ways 'till Sunday count?_

Edward looked increasingly more nervous as the silence between us grew tense. Embarrassment and disappointment were etched in his eyes and my stomach lurched at the expression. He shifted his weight from one foot to another and looked away from my face at the ground.

"I'm apologize Bella, I didn't meant to make you uncomfortable. You must be in a relationship. I mean, why wouldn't you be? God, I'm so stupid. Really, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Anyway, about your case..." he babbled and I interrupted before he could go any further.

"I _would_ say you were my type, if I had one. I don't really date enough to have a type, I guess. So, you're wrong. Also, no relationship here. Just my never ending love affair with work." I said, blushing.

_You. Are. Such. A. Freak._

"Oh. Wow. Phew." Edward wiped his hand across his forehead in jest, and took a deep breath. "I apologize Bella, if this seems forward, but I was wondering what you were doing tomorrow night, " he questioned, looking directly into my eyes. Stunned, I just stared right back into those green irises.

_Gah, me? Really? ME?!_

"So, would you be interested?" he asked, again.

"In what?" I looked back at his face, trying to wrap my head around what was happening.

"Going out with me. Tomorrow night."

"Really? Are you sure?" I breathed. "I mean, umm, yeah. Sure. I don't have to be back at the hospital again until Friday."

_Real smooth Swan, real smooth._

"Great! Well, how does, eight o'clock at Eclipse sound?" He asked.

"Umm, okay. Sounds good. Oh, wait. What is Eclipse?" I questioned, my blush crept up my cheeks again.

_Fuck, way to sound like a complete jackass. This is what you get for not having a damn social life._

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Eclipse is a restaurant on Bowery and East 4th."

"Huh. I've never heard of it. Is Eclipse new or something?"

"Yeah. Only opened about a month ago. My brother, Emmett, owns it." He stated, looking closely at my face. A small smile crept from the sides of my lips and I told him it would be fine.

"Great. So I'll see you tomorrow night then." A crooked smile swept his face, making my knees weak and the panties damp.

_Fuuuuuck. Yum._

"Yeah. See you then, Edward."

After an awkward stumble through exchanging phone numbers and saying our goodbyes, I made my way outside to my truck and headed home. The smile on my face was making my face sore when suddenly the reality of the situation came crashing down. I was in no way prepared to go on a date with Edward. He was the epitome of male perfection and I was the poster child for the socially handicapped. It was time to call in reinforcements, and they could only be found in one place. Reaching for my phone in my purse, I dialed the one number I knew would ease my tension. Or, cause my undying torture.

"Hey Alice. Remember how I said that there was no way in hell I would ever make this phone call?" Without waiting for a response, I continued, "Well, I need your help. I have a date."

----------------------------

I was greeted with a whirlwind of estrogen upon returning home to my apartment. Rosalie and Alice dragged me into the living room and forced me to sit on one of our crème leather couches. After venting about my day, the game of twenty questions began about Officer Edward Cullen, but known better as Officer Do Me Hard.

They analyzed his every word, glance, gesture and mannerism with expertise. Deciding that this was the best thing that had happened to me in years, they jumped at the opportunity to celebrate. Alice broke out two bottles of wine before I was dragged to my bedroom to select the "perfect outfit".

Four hours, a decimated closet and near three bottles of wine later, I had my outfit, hair and make up all planned out for the next day. They settled on black skinny jeans and a cute grey blazer with black booties. I forced them into letting me wear one of my faded band tees in exchange for the heels. Seeing as I was reaching my breaking point from lack of sleep, I ushered the two of them out of my bedroom to get ready for bed. We agreed to meet at two in the afternoon on Friday, the day after my date so I could dish all of the gory details.

I stumbled into the bathroom and drew a hot bath to relax my severely tired muscles. After properly tending to all of my parts, I dressed in my pajamas and got into bed. I grabbed the charger for my Blackberry from the nightstand and plugged my phone in to charge. Realizing I had a missed call and a voicemail, I decided to listen before I went to bed. Without checking the missed call, I dialed in and entered my password.

"_Uh, hi Bella, this is Edward Cullen. We uh, met earlier in court, in the lobby. I just wanted to call and say I was excited to see you tomorrow and that I'll be outside of Eclipse at eight. Oh, and to say that there's a club downstairs if you want to go dancing after dinner. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow night. It was great to meet you. Sweet dreams."_

Not wanting Edward to think that I was blowing him off I sent him a quick text before turning out the light and going to sleep.

**Thanks for the VM, sorry I missed your call.**

**It was great to meet you too.**

**I'm excited for tomorrow and dancing sounds great.**

**Sweet dreams, Edward**

**XX - B**

-----------------

Getting out of the cab, I made my way through the crowded streets of New York City to walk to the entrance of Eclipse. My stomach was in knots, and my nerves were a disaster as I anticipated the upcoming night with Edward. It had been nearly two years since I'd been on a date and I wondered if the night would end up being the awkward experience I was expecting. I reached for the door handle but before I could open the door, I heard the greatest sound that immediately caused my girly bits to tingle.

"Bella!" Edward called out, and I turned to look in his direction.

Walking over to where he was standing, I took in his appearance. He was dressed in dark wash jeans that hung exceptionally low on his hips, a plain black tee shirt and a black jacket adorned with small pockets on the arms and chest. One of his hands was running through his sex hair as he gave me a small crooked smile.

_And I thought the uniform was hot… Holy. Fuck. _

"Hello Edward. Sorry I'm late, the PATH trains were running behind." I greeted, standing next to him on the street.

"No worries. I'm just glad you told me. You look incredible," he said, gazing over my body from head to toe causing my heart to accelerate.

"You look great too. So, you said that your brother owns this place?" I asked, gesturing with a hand towards the building behind me.

"Yeah. He had always wanted to open a restaurant club type of establishment. He claimed that it was always a pain in the ass to have to drag his dates all over the city just for the night to progress. Personally, it doesn't bother me, but Emmett has always been a little impatient."

"Well, it does tend to make things easier, I guess." Not having much to say in response to 'night to progress', I bit my lip and imagined how I hoped the night to progress with Edward. My body shivered slightly at the possibilities.

"Oh! Wow, I'm an idiot, you must be cold, let's go inside and eat." He reached out and put his hand on the small of my back and my skin tingled with the contact. With a deep breath, we headed into the restaurant.

When we walked in the front door, we were met with just walls and a staircase off to the left. Pictures of various phases of the moon lined the walls of the staircase. Reaching the hostess' podium, I looked around to take in the décor. The place was magnificent and tasteful. It had black marble floors with flecks of white stones and the walls were a light grey with dark blue trim. Looking up, I saw the ceiling was painted to look like a starry sky, much like the Rainforest Café, but far less cheesy. The sides of the main room had at least ten high-backed booths and dark wood tables were scattered in the middle.

"Reservation for two under 'Cullen'," Edward said to the hostess, who was clearly taken with his presence. A look of recognition crossed her face as she realized that the last name was that of the owner. She managed to stammer out a request for us to follow her as she grabbed two menus and walked towards the right side of the room, leading us to a booth near the back.

"S-s-someone will be with y-y-you shortly. Enjoy," she said, and made her way back to the front of the restaurant.

Edward reached out to take my coat and motioned for me to sit down in the circular booth first. As I slid across the smooth leather of the seat, I paused to watch Edward remove his own jacket. I stopped breathing as I took in the way his muscles moved underneath his tight shirt as was mesmerized by the ink displayed on his pale arms. In this moment, I was glad I was still shifting into my seat as it gave much needed friction to my nether regions at this new discovery. The boy had fucking ink.

_Fuck the food, can we go back to my place now?!_

He must have seen me staring at his arms, "Yeah, uh, do tattoos bother you?" he asked quietly.

_Um, no…I'm just trying not to lick them_.

"Not at all. I have several myself," I responded, lifting both wrists for his inspection. His eyebrow rose in question as he took in the black ink on both arms.

"I definitely took chemistry, and even though it's been awhile I know that they're compounds, but what exactly are they?"

"They're hydrogen and oxygen. These two little guys were my first. I got them the day I turned eighteen. I have always loved tattoos and wanted one so badly that I thought I needed one to survive. What better way to represent that then with two things everyone does need to live?" I said, smiling, remembering walking into the tattoo parlor on my birthday with Rose and Alice. He was laughing softly as he handed me a menu.

"I like them. It's clever. You said those were your first, how many others do you have, what and where are they?" he questioned, a small sexy smile on this lips told me that he clearly appreciated women with tattoos.

"If we start that conversation now, I'll never figure out what to eat. Tell me, what's good here?" I asked, opening the menu.

"Normally I hate when people say this, but I can't lie, everything is good here. I helped Emmett search for a chef for the restaurant so I got to try everything before the place opened. Emmett is a pretty simple guy, and he chose a menu to go along with his tastes. He's also like a human garbage disposal, so the portions are enormous. Also, just to point out, you have to order green vegetables separately. Another Emmett quirk; he hates anything remotely vegetable-esque, well, except if they're hidden within the food." he said, looking over the menu, "But, if you like pasta, the pesto capellini with grilled chicken and sun-dried tomatoes is fantastic. It took the chef he finally hired three whole days to convince Emmett that tomatoes are a fruit and allow them in the pasta." Edward laughed, putting his head down for a moment, only to look up at me. His eyes were bright with humor and his smile made me forget what I was doing. Breaking our gaze, I went back to reading the menu.

_Stupid, pick food! _

After looking everything over in detail, I decided to try what Edward had recommended. Using the menu as a makeshift shield, I peered over the top to look at him. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he looked over different options, chewing the inside of his cheek and running a hand through his hair. I giggled, and he turned to look at me, smirking.

"What's so funny over there, Chuckles?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just, I would have thought you had the menu memorized by now. I mean, you have eaten the entire menu," I said, still laughing. Edward gave me a look of mock horror before he spoke.

"You make me sound like a fat kid at Thanksgiving. I didn't eat it all at once! Just, tried it. I'm trying to decide what to choose. I wasn't lying when I said it was all really good. Did you decide on what you wanted?"

"Yep. I'm going to try the pasta you recommended. It sounded tasty."

He shifted his features to give me a serious look, "Is that your final answer?"

"Yes, Regis, it is. I already asked the audience and have decided to trust them in the matter," I stated, giving him a small smile.

Removing the menu from my hands, he closed it and placed it on the table. Taking my hand in his, he shifted his body marginally closer to me. Leaning his mouth close to my ear, he took a deep breath, blowing hot air on my shoulder.

"Have you decided to trust me, Bella?" he whispered, still not moving his face or his hand. My heart sped up once more and goosebumps broke out over my skin.

Just then, the waiter walked up to our table and interrupted before I could attempt to answer. Dressed in casual clothing, you would have thought him a customer rather than a server if it weren't for the nametag on his shirt.

"Good evening folks, Can I get you anything to drink to start?" The waiter paused, waiting for us to answer. Edward, face still close to my ear, asked me what I wanted to drink.

"A Smithwicks, if you have it," I told the server and he assured me that they did. Moving his face away from my neck, but not removing his hand from mine, Edward turned towards the waiter.

"And for you, Sirrrrrrrr, EDWARD! Hey! I didn't see you there. What's going on, man?! You haven't been here in a while. How are you?" The waiter exclaimed, a huge grin on his face.

"Hey Seth, it's good to see you. This is Bella and I'm doing _very_ well," he said, eyes turning in my direction, "I was here on opening night, but work has been kicking my ass and I haven't had a chance to make it back here. How are you doing? Enjoying it here?" Edward asked, casually stroking the back of my hand with his thumb. Seth's eyes zeroed in on the moment, and arched an eyebrow.

"I'm doing well. School is killing me, but that's normal. Things are great here though. What can I get you to drink?" Seth asked. "I wouldn't want the boss to find out that I'm slackin' here."

"I'll have the same as Bella. Thanks."

Grinning widely, Seth left to walk to the bar. Turning my body to face Edward's, I looked at his face. "So, I guess it's safe to say that you two know each other?"

"Yeah, we do. Emmett and I grew up with him. His family lived in the town over from ours. My father taught Emmett and I how to surf when we were really young. During a bad storm, Emmett and I decided to go surfing and Seth was there with a few of his buddies. We ended up becoming pretty decent friends with all of them. So, when Emmett opened up Eclipse, he knew Seth was looking for a part-time job while going to NYU. He offered him the position here," he said, looking up as Seth was walking back to our table, beers in hand.

"Alright guys, what can we do for you for dinner? I'm sure you're anxious to head downstairs," Seth said, taking out a pad of paper and a pen. Edward spoke for me and ordered my pasta while he ordered lobster macaroni and cheese. Seth left to put our orders into the kitchen as Edward clasped our fingers together. We both turned our bodies to face each other as best we could in the booth before speaking. Edward spoke up first.

"Now, I hate when people ask this, but I'm at a loss for where to start. I haven't dated in a while," he said, shaking his head and looking down and taking a deep breath. Glancing back up at me he opened his mouth to speak again but I took the hand that wasn't his and put a finger against his lips.

_Fuck, those are soft. Mmmm, Edward lips_.

"I find that incredibly hard to believe but don't worry, I haven't dated in a while either. Like, a really long while. So, we can stumble through it together." I spoke, reassuring him and he looked at me, incredulous.

"Why is that hard to believe?" he asked, reaching for his beer and taking a sip.

"Look at you! You're gorgeous! You had the hostess stuttering like Rain Man at the mere sight of you!" I whisper-shouted. Taking a drink from my beer, I could feel the blush on my cheeks in embarrassment from my confession.

"Thank you. I'm glad you find me attractive Bella, as I think the same thing about you. Which is why, I too, am surprised to hear that you haven't dated in a while," he smiled, bringing the bottle to his lips once more, "So, tell me a little about yourself," he said, laughing loudly. "Okay, let's not turn this into an interview. You were wearing scrubs in court. What do you do?"

"That's an easy one. I'm doing my first year of residency at New York Columbia Hospital uptown. I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think I want to end up working in the ICU; it's where I was for my last rotation, and I'm in the ER now. What about you? You were wearing a cop's uniform yesterday, what do you do?" I asked, drinking more of my beer and setting it on the table.

"Funny. I am, in fact, a police officer here in the city. I work out of a precinct downtown with some of the greatest guys you can imagine. It's hard work, but its rewarding most of the time," he stated, absentmindedly playing with the label on his beer bottle. "What about school? Where did you study?"

"Tulane University in New Orleans for both undergrad and med school. That was where I met one of my roommates, Rosalie. My other roommate, Alice, is dating Rose's twin, Jasper. You?"

"Juiliard. For music composition, piano specifically," he said, and I gaped at him in shock. "Were you expecting something different?"

"No, I wasn't really expecting anything in particular but that is incredible! Juiliard? If you graduated with a degree in music, why did you become a cop?" I asked, still impressed. His look of distress told me this wasn't an easy answer. "I'm sorry, you don't need to tell me if you don't want to."

Shaking his head, he tightened the grip on my hand. "No. It's fine, just a serious answer, that's all. You see, I was adopted when I was thirteen after my parents were murdered in Chicago where we lived at the time. The person responsible was never caught. My mother was really involved in music and was my biggest supporter with the piano. So, for her, I went to school to study music, but became a cop to ensure that what happened to me, never happened to anyone else." He was quiet after he spoke as if he was unsure he said too much. The expression on his face bothered me and in an order to make the situation more comfortable, I knew what I had to do.

"Edward," he looked up at me as I addressed him. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine how hard that must have been but I also know that anything I say will not make it any better. I'm going to tell you something that I've never told anyone before. I can't explain it, but I feel compelled to tell you. I feel safe with you even though I barely know you," I said, the last part of the statement was more to myself than to him.

"I understand what you mean. What did you want to tell me?" he asked as he moved to put his arm around my shoulders. Edward huddled closer to me, as if he could feel that this was not something easy for me to admit.

"I became a doctor because of my mother. She died when I was fourteen. I knew that she had a problem with headaches, but I was too young to understand what was happening to her. She used to blame it on the heat as we lived in Phoenix, but I knew better. I just didn't say anything. Finally, after three years of her denying the headaches, I came home from school and found her sleeping in her room. Or so I thought anyway. I went to wake her up for dinner, but she never woke up. The autopsy said that she had a brain tumor. Cancer." Edward wrapped his arms around me and I relaxed into his embrace. As hard as it was to tell the story, I felt safe within his arms. He asked me why I didn't want to work with cancer patients instead of the path I was choosing and I explained that I couldn't bear to watch someone else die from the disease. Holding me for a moment longer, he pulled away and looked into my eyes.

"I'm glad you told me. Now, let's move on to lighter subjects, shall we?" he asked, grinning. Amazed, I just nodded in approval. "Okay, so, you went to school in New Orleans, tell me your craziest drinking story."

"Ha, that's an interesting night. Well, I was out with Alice and Rosalie Alice had just come down from New York to visit. We were at Margaritaville and I had a few too many. Rosalie convinced me to get on top of the bar and sing 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' at the top of my lungs. I did. But, when I got down, I was so embarrassed that I punished myself like my mother used to when I was a kid and had gotten in trouble. I washed my mouth out with soap in the bathroom. Problem was, that I guess I swallowed some of it. I got the hiccups and bubbles came out of my mouth. To this day, Rose is relentless with the bubble and soap jokes. She usually calls me 'Dr. Irish Spring'," I laughed and Edward was in hysterics. After a few minutes of taming the giggles, he leaned over and put his hand underneath my chin. Bringing his face closer, he placed his lips on mine but pulled away quickly. Putting my hand on the back of his neck, I drew him closer to kiss him again. Our kiss became more forceful and I felt his tongue reach out and touch my bottom lip. Opening my mouth, our tongues tentatively touched together. A groan left my lips and I heard him make the same sound. Just as our kiss was turning into a full-blown make out session in the middle of a restaurant, I heard someone clearing their throat.

"Yeah, sorry guys, but here's your food. Can I get you anything else?" Seth asked, embarrassed. Edward ordered two more beers before Seth left the table.

We ate excitedly, as the food was incredible. I thanked Edward for the recommendation of the pasta; it was the best I had ever eaten. In between bites, we discussed music, books, current events and silly childhood stories; pleasantly surprised that we had a lot of the same tastes. Seth returned several times as we ordered beer after beer. Where I had stopped at five, Edward kept drinking until he finished his eighth.

Edward and I were enjoying dessert when Seth came back to the table and explained that dinner was on the house. Unfortunately, Emmett wasn't in the restaurant tonight, but Seth had called him to let him know that Edward was here. Seth and Edward said their goodbyes and he looked at me as we ate.

"So, you want to head downstairs? The music is pretty decent." Edward asked, hesitantly.

"Sure, sounds good."

"Good. I'm not ready to give you up yet." He said, smirk on his face. I smiled back.

We finished eating in a relative silence and headed downstairs to the club.

--------------------------

Edward held me close as we danced together in the club. His hips were grinding against mine as a fast-paced song blared through the speakers. Reaching my arm up and behind me, I grasped the back of his neck and pulled him closer. I threaded my fingers into his hair, tugging slightly and ran my nails along his scalp. His chest vibrated against my back and his breath skimmed my ear.

"Careful Bella, you have no idea how good that feels," Edward warned, his arm draping across my stomach and placing his hand on my hip.

I could feel his head moving closer and his lips grazed my neck. Kissing my neck softly, I bit my lip to suppress the moan threatening to escape. His tongue slipped from his mouth as he lightly sucked on the skin behind my ear. My body shivered in response. A new song started and after the first few beats, I recognized the artist as one of our shared favorite musicians, Rob Zombie. Edward's grip on me tightened as he nibbled my ear. Pulling my arm from his neck, he spun me around and switched to the opposite ear.

"I want to see your face for this one. You told me 'Living Dead Girl' was your favorite song." He said as he detached his lips from my ear once more.

Mouthing the words, I moved one of my legs in between his to get closer. Looking directly into his eyes, I brought my arm back around his neck, knowing he liked it. I dug my nails into the skin and dragged them down to his chest, feeling his muscles twitch underneath my fingertips. As my hips ground against him, I could feel just how much he enjoyed my actions.

_HELLO Edward Jr._

Moving my hand from his chest to his back, I continued my path down to the top of his jeans and slid my hand under his shirt. Edward had both of his hands on my hips, squeezing my hipbones through my jeans before he moved them up my sides to directly underneath my breasts. His cycle of moving up and down went on as our hips touched impossibly close. Pressing against his hardness, I put my other hand around his neck to bring his head down to mine so he could hear.

"Your hands feel incredible, Edward," I said, and he pulled his head back to look at me, crooked grin on his face and he moved his mouth back to my ear.

"I love to have my hands on you, Bella. I love to feel you under my fingers, your body against mine," he said, putting both hands on my backside, pulling my roughly against his denim covered hard-on, "See what you do to me Bella?"

Grinding my hips into him harder, I watched his face as he moaned loudly. I reached up, compressing my lips on the skin of his neck. Kissing and nipping my way around his Adam's apple, I scratched the bare skin of his back with my nails. I could feel Edward's voice through the skin below his jaw as well as heard him in my ear. He grabbed my face and smashed his lips on mine. Passion and want grew palpable in small space between us. I bit his lower lip, encouraging him to open his mouth and he complied. Our tongues battled in each other's mouths, mewling audibly as hands started to search for skin to caress.

His hands made their way down my sides again, only to ascend beneath my shirt. Feeling skin against skin, I broke my mouth away from his to let out a small cry. Edward's mouth made its way to my neck, pecking at all the skin occasionally dipping his tongue to run along the column of my throat. His hand had made its way to the top of my ribs and ran his fingers across the underwire of my bra. Continuing upwards, he pushed his hand beneath the material and lightly stroked one of my nipples. I moaned loudly against his neck, moving one of my hands down his chest, over his belt buckle and cupped him through his jeans. Edward hissed and pinched my nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

Rubbing my hand over him, I shifted myself as close as possible. "Fucking Christ, Edward. Mmm, fuck."

"As much as I could take you here in front of all these people, I want you for my eyes only. Do you want to get out of here?" he asked, sliding the hand on my backside to my hip, ghosting under the material of my jeans.

"I fucking need you. Which one of us lives closer?" I asked, not stopping my hands movement over him.

"You are. We'll take a cab all the way back to fucking Hoboken," he growled, grabbing my hand away from his hardness and used it to drag me outside.

_Thank fucking god New York has so many fucking cabs. _

We got outside of Eclipse and Edward raised his arm to hail a cab. A few moments later, a cab stopped at the curb and Edward opened the door. He gestured for me to climb in first. I gave the driver my address, and we hadn't even pulled away from the curb before Edward's lips were on mine.

-----------------

I vaguely registered Edward throwing money at the cab driver as we stumbled out of the cab, lips still attached. Groaning, I detached myself from his face and climbed the few steps to the door of the apartment building. At the top of the stairs, I glanced down at Edward, only to find him stuck in a daze, frozen at the bottom.

"You coming, Officer?" I crooned. Snapping his head in my direction, I gave my best "come hither" look and crooked one finger at him.

"Not yet."

Frantically, I searched my purse for my keys as he started up the steps, stalking me like I was the most delectable prey. Key to my apartment in hand, we made our way through the lobby towards the elevator. Edward wrapped an arm around my waist, trailing his ever-so-talented tongue across my neck as his other arm reached out to push the button to call the car. After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator binged its arrival and we stepped inside.

I let out a low moan and snaked one hand above my head to wrap in his messy bronze hair, pulling his face further into my neck.

Lifting his lips away for a brief moment, he asked what floor I lived on. My lust induced haze dissipated long enough for me to realize we were just standing in the elevator, not moving.

"Four." I breathed, turning to face him and pull his lips towards mine. The elevator began its ascent as his lips parted, tongue reaching out and caressing my lower lip. Opening my mouth, our tongues intertwined and danced from my mouth to his as I reached my unoccupied hand to grab a fistful of his shirt. Edward's hand went to the small of my back, under my jacket and pressed against my bare skin, pulling me into his body. Feeling his hardness once again, I rocked my hips against his.

Gasping, "Fuck, Bella. You feel...so damn good." His forehead rested against mine, and I could feel the shallow breaths he took on my face. Digging his hands into my skin, the elevator announced our arrival on my floor. The electric current that passed between us was present even as I moved away, to walk to the door of my apartment. Slipping the key in the lock, I turned it until the telltale click of its release and opened the door.

"Well, uh, this is me. Sorry for the mess. My roommates...." I trailed off as he pressed himself against me from behind.

"I'm not looking at the decor, love. Which room is yours?" he asked, lips on my ear. Goosebumps broke out over my flesh as he ground his hardness into my backside.

"Second door on the left."

Without warning, he spun me around and picked me up so we were at eye level. The emerald of his eyes had darkened to an almost black with lust. I wrapped my legs around his waist as we walked down the hallway. His gaze never broke mine as he put his hand under me to support my weight and opened the door. Closing the door with his foot, he turned around quickly and roughly pushed us into the back of the door. I whimpered, and broke the space between us, capturing his lips with mine. The intensity of his kiss dissolved me into a puddle of mush, and as he nipped my lower lip, my legs slipped from his waist. Edward immediately pulled us off the door and walked over to the bed, dropping me and covered my body with his. Watching as he ripped off his jacket, I sat up to remove mine as well. Edward threw his jacket to the floor and helped me pull my arms out of my sleeves. As the fabric joined his in a pile next to the bed, he moved to lie on top of me again. Kissing me once more, he held himself above me and ground his hips into mine. My hands flew down his back and grasped the hem of his shirt, pulling it up. He lifted himself up, knowing I wanted it off, and ripped it over his head. I gasped as I saw the massive amount of ink covering his chest. He was a picture of perfection, with a chest etched from stone. I sat up, reaching my hands out to run over his abs and trace his tattoos. The entire right side of his body was covered in what looked like sheet music; the notes had small droplets of blood falling from them, as if it had be carved into his skin. Nonsensical designs adorned his arms up to his shoulders, a maze of ink and muscle. Thirty-two different numbers were written in sets of eight directly over his heart and below we the words 'Until My Last Breath' in elegant script.

"It's beautiful," I said, knowing words did not describe my feelings accurately. "Tell me about them, please."

"The music is a song I wrote for my mother. The numbers are anniversaries. Both of my parent's birthdays, their wedding anniversary, and the day they died. The lines on my arms are more complicated. It started with the three nearly braided lines here," he gestured to his forearm, "Anytime anything in my life happens with any significance to me, I add another line."

Instead of talking, I kissed him again, pressing myself against his bare chest. My mouth left his and I put my lips against each tattoo. He arms reached around me to grasp the bottom of my shirt, and pulled it over my head, tossing it to the floor.

"Wow, Bella, its exquisite. Tell me," Edward asked, tracing the tattoo along my left side. He pulled the material of my bra up so he could see the entirety of the design. Edward saw the giant evergreen tree, burning in flames with the sun, bleeding into the ocean in a 'S' shape behind it.

"Nothing lasts forever."

Pushing him so he would stand up, I turned him around to examine his back.

"It says 'live' in twenty five different languages," he said softly. I stood up and turned around in his view. Moving my hair out of the way, I heard his gasp as he looked at my skin. He unclasped my bra, I assume to examine the entire picture.

"This is unbelievable Bella, what is this symbol called again?" He questioned.

"The rod of Aesculapius. It is the commonly accepted symbol for medicine. Mine is a little different than most."

Instead of the traditional wings, I had flames on either side of the rod, made to look as if it were embedded in my spine. Typically two snakes would be intertwined along the rod, but I had a double helix instead. I felt Edward's lips on my back as he pulled my bra away from my body and tossed it to the floor. His arms wrapped around me, hands moving to my breasts, taking one in each hand. Squeezing my peaks, his fingers reached to pinch my nipples lightly.

"Do you feel that, Bella? How perfectly your breasts fit in my hands? Like they were made for me. I want to watch you come," he whispered, "I can't wait to be inside you; to move over you, within you. Hear my name fall from your lips as you explode around me."

Edward's hands increased their pressure on my chest. His lips remained on my neck as he turned me to face him. Dropping to his knees, he took a nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around my delicate bud as his hand continued to play with the other.

"Fuck, Edward, that feels…so fucking incredible."

I wrapped one of my hands in his hair, holding him to me as I moaned in pleasure. Removing one nipple from his mouth, he kissed the space along my chest before wrapping his lips around the other bud. His hands ghosted along my stomach until they reached my jeans. Looking up at me, I gave him a nod of permission and he unbuttoned them quickly. He kissed his way down my stomach and put his lips directly above my panties, the spot now exposed through the open seam.

"I can smell you from here, so good. I can't wait to taste you. I bet you're sweet," he said, pushing my pants down my legs. Maneuvering me to lie on the bed, he kissed up my leg to my hipbone and pushed my legs open wider to accommodate him in between them. Brushing one of his fingers across my lace covered clit, I gasped. I was sure he could feel my wetness through the material. He hooked his fingers in my panties and drew them down my legs before moving back up to press his face against my stomach. Letting out a small groan, his finger tentatively touched my outer lips, spreading my juices. "God, you're fucking bare and wet for me, love. Does this feel good? Do you want my fingers inside you?"

"Mmm, please, yes," I breathed, feeling him slide one finger inside me. Moving his finger slowly for several moments before pausing, then returning with two and I cried out.

"God, you're tight. Can't wait to be in you. But first, I have to taste you," he said and his tongue licked at my clit. My hips arched off the bed at the contact and he draped his arm across my stomach to keep me in place. "Stay here, Bella. I can't lick you if you move away."

Lapping at my juices, his fingers pressed harder as I felt them curl inside me to find my sweet spot.

"Edward! Fuck, what are you doing to me? Oh, fuck. Yeah, just like that. Ooh, baby, you're gonna make me come if you don't stop," I spoke, loudly. His hands moved faster as he sucked my clit into his mouth and dragged his teeth against it lightly. "I'm gonna come, baby. Fuck…I can't…baby please...I…Oh shit…Fuck…Fuuuck…EDWARD!" I shouted as I came hard on his fingers. Softly stroking me as I rode the last waves of my orgasm before he removed his fingers from me. He looked up at me with hooded eyes and I pulled him up to me. I could taste myself on his tongue as my hands went to his belt.

Flipping him onto his back, I quickly undid his belt, button and zipper. I pulled his jeans and boxer briefs down in one swift movement. Placing my hand on his cock, I kissed along his chest, down his stomach and over the 'V' of his hips.

"God, Bella, your little hands feel so fucking good wrapped around my cock. You tasted amazing. How did it feel to come with my fingers inside you?"

Instead of answering, I pumped his cock, gradually increasing pressure before I placed it between my lips. "You taste delicious Edward, and you feel so good on my tongue." I said, wrapping my lips around him once more. Swirling my tongue around the head, I lowered myself down his length. I slid my mouth up and down slowly, using one of my hands to grip what my lips couldn't reach.

"Jesus fucking Christ. You're mouth feels so fucking good, baby. Just like that, uhh, yes. Fuck, yeah… a little harder. Fucking yes, fuck your hot little mouth on my cock feels so god damn incredible," he growled, as I continued the assault on him. I felt one of his hands in my hair as he grasped the back of my head, showing me the pace he wanted. Lightly dragging my teeth across his shaft, I flicked my tongue directly under the head; my hand reached down to massage his balls between my fingers. "Oh my fucking hell, baby…" he rasped, hands pulling me off of him. I looked at him, wondering why he stopped me. "Baby, as good as that fucking felt, and as much as I want to see you swallow every drop of my come, I'd rather be inside you when I do. I need to feel you come hard over every inch of me."

Edward left the bed quickly to rummage through the pockets of his jeans and pull out a condom. As grateful as I was that he was prepared, I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, question written across my face. "Why, Edward, hoping to get lucky?"

"Umm…wishful thinking?" he stammered out.

Climbing back on the bed, I grabbed the condom from his hand. I ripped the package open with my teeth and placed it gently on my lips. Using my mouth, I slid the condom in place and moved back up his body to kiss him thoroughly. He moved me to lie against the pillows and maneuvered himself above my body, between my legs. Sliding two fingers into my slit, he played with me for a moment while occupying his lips with mine. He removed his fingers from me and took himself in his hand, lining up with my entrance.

Edward looked up at me for a moment and I nodded, "Please, now. I want you…so much." I said, and he pressed himself forward, both of us groaning as the head slid within my depths.

Pushing forward just a little more, he paused to search my face for any signs of discomfort. "Fuuuuuuccckkkk, Bella. You're so…fucking…tight," he said, all the while sliding farther inside me.

Once he was all the way in, he leaned down to capture my lips with his, before pulling back, keeping the head of his cock inside and slid back in slowly. "Edward, fuck…Uhhh…God fucking damn it, you feel fucking incredible inside me," I moaned out.

He continued with his slow pace for a while, allowing me time to adjust to his size. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pulled him into me – hard. We both gasped at the sudden movement; Edward increased his thrusts into me faster, harder and deeper then before.

"Bella, love, fuck…never felt…this… fucking…mmm…yes…" he said, loudly, speeding his pace and depth. Grabbing one of my legs, he placed it over his shoulder allowing him to slide even deeper within me. He leaded back, resting on his knees as his hands went under my hips to raise me to him. Moaning unintelligibly, I saw the straining tendons in his neck; pulling my leg from his shoulder, I pushed him to lie beneath me.

"I want to ride you, baby," I crooned and shifted myself above him. Hovering over him, I slammed myself down on him hard and we both shouted obscenities into the air. I bounced on top of him, with my hands on his chest for leverage. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked directly into my eyes. Unable to keep contact, I closed my eyes and let my head fall back as I continued my movements over him.

"Baby, you look so fucking good over me. I love watching you ride my cock; you're so fucking gorgeous up there. Tell me, tell me how good it feels to have me inside you," he growled, falling back against the pillows. Grabbing my hips in his hands, he held me still, only to thrust into me from underneath. I took his hands in mine and placed them on my breasts. Moaning his name, I could feel his hands playing with my nipples as I spoke his name with each drive of his hips.

"Edward, Edward, Edward, FUCK! You're so fucking deep, baby. Fucking yeah, just like that baby. You're fucking cock feels so...God," I said and he leaned upwards to take a nipple in his mouth. Rocking my hips back and forth with him buried inside my slit, I heard him grunting loudly, the sound muffled by my skin.

Pushing me by my shoulders, I fell on my back, my head at the foot of the bed and Edward slammed back inside of me. His lips crashing down on mine, he broke away to shout my name repeatedly before bringing his lips to my neck to nip at my skin roughly. "Baby, I want you to touch yourself for me. You'll look hot. I'm so fucking close; can't wait to fucking explode inside you," he said then moved to nip at my ear. Sitting back against his heels, he grabbed the backs of my knees to drape them over his arms. I reached my hand down to rub my clit with two fingers swiftly as I looked at his face. "God baby, you look so fucking hot touching your bare pussy for me. Yeah, baby. You close? I want you to come with me baby."

"I'm close Edward, just like that, please. FUCK! Don't stop. Just like that. Fuck, please, yeah. God baby, you're gonna make me come so fucking hard," I shouted as he pressed into me even harder then before.

"Come for me Bella, come now!"

"EDWARD! FUCK! Baby, fuck, I'm coming!" I cried out as I came, muscles tensed all over as I massaged him from the inside.

"God Bella, you're so fucking beautiful when you come. That's right baby, hold me inside you, so fucking tight. Bella, you're gonna make me come. Do you want me to come for you?"

"Come for me Edward, I want to feel you come inside me!"

"Bella, Bella, Bella, oh FUCK! Yeah, yes. Mmm, fuck…ahh…oh fuck yes. God, BELLLAAA!" he shouted as he held himself deep inside me while he came.

Collapsing, Edward fell to his elbows on top of me, spent. In between gasps for air, he placed soft kisses to my eyelids, cheeks, nose and finally, my lips. Our kisses were soft, comforting, making my heart swell in my chest. He leaned over to whisper sweet words in my ear, bringing a big smile to my face before he pulled out of me and we both groaned at the loss of contact. Falling onto his back, he reached for my hand in between us and clasped our fingers together. We lie together in a relative silence before I yawned audibly. Edward chuckled from beside me.

Grabbing a tissue from the nightstand, I reached down and removed the condom for him and got up to throw it away before returning to bed. Edward kissed me sweetly on the lips before whispering how good I felt and how much he enjoyed our night. Taking me in his arms, I fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat in my ear.

----------------

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP_

My arm felt like it weighed a ton as I dragged it over to nightstand to slam the "off" button on the alarm clock. The freight train trudging through my head was a quick reminder that the night before actually did occur. That, and the tattooed, toned arm holding me across my waist acted as a pretty decent indicator. Shutting off the alarm, the arm tightened and pulled me back against the strong and very naked chest of Edward. Or, Officer Perfect Cock, as I would now call him. The ache between my legs would vouch for the title. Shifting my hips backward, I could feel the delightful cock in question saying good morning, and ground my ass against it. A quiet groan sounded behind me, so I pushed back harder.

"Good morning." a raspy voice, full of sleep said.

"Good morning to you." I responded, sounding like a smoker of thirty years.

"Don't start anything you can't finish, Bella. That alarm clock better have gone off for a reason, as I was quite content before it went off." he growled, then kissed in between my shoulder blades. His lips trailed from one shoulder to the other, as his hand moved from across my waist to one of my hipbones. Lightly drawing his fingers closer to my core, my hand shot out to stop him, and I let out a groan of disappointment.

"As much as I want this, I can't. I really don't have time. The girls have requested my presence this morning." Turning my body to face him, I tried to hide the nervousness I felt. Would Officer Wonder Dick want to see me again? _You gave it up faster than a bottle blonde on prom night, what makes you think this is going anywhere past now? _

"Hmm, well, we wouldn't want to disappoint the girls now, would we? I should let you get going then," he stated.

"No. Can't disappoint my bitches." I spoke, quietly.

"Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday, but your court appearance was rescheduled for Monday. What are you doing afterward?" Edward asked, looking over his shoulder with a devilish grin on his face.

"I was going to be working but since court has requested my presence, that'll have to change. Why do you ask?"

"Fuck, I forgot, I have to work Monday night."

"That's okay, I'll just get myself arrested. There's a first time for everything."

A/N: Like it? Love it? Hate it? Don't give a shit? Let me know by pressing that little green button below this message. I'd love to hear from you.


	2. OMGWTFBBQ!

**A/N: **To all of you that wrote reviews on my original one shot – I am beyond humbled by your kind words and thoughts.

I give you… CHAPTER 2!

Chapters will be SHORTER than the one-shot… just letting you know.

Let's sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. See you at the bottom.

Disclaimer:

**Things I Own**: A separate refrigerator for beer – in my bedroom, a cat with anxiety issues that require medication and another cat with the ability to meow my name.

**Things I Don't Own:** A lava lamp, Ugg's, or Twilight.

**Chapter 2 – "OMGWTFBBQ?!"**

**BPOV**

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"I know."

Rosalie and Alice shared looks of shock after I spilled about my date with Edward - in vivid detail - but where Rose looked proud, Alice looked hopeful. Well, at least I assumed that was the expression on her face; it was hard to tell as she was stuffing waffles into her mouth at an alarming rate.

"Ali, slow down. You're going to choke." I said, worried.

"But, I'm hungry." Alice answered, mouth disgustingly full.

"Of course you're hungry, Wilbur. You've only smoked enough pot to last through a frat party after finals week less than an hour ago." Rose stated, picking at the egg whites on her plate.

"Fuck you, Rose." Alice retorted.

As Alice continued eating, Rose placed her fork on the table and leaned back in her chair. "So, back to the matter at hand. Bella, congratulations on your first one-night-stand. I knew you had it in you." Rose said, smiling at me.

The three of us broke out into fits of laughter at Rose's unintended pun when Alice started to stare at the leftover food on her plate.

"It wasn't a one-night stand," she started, "I know that Edward really likes her and will see her again. I'd bet he's already falling for her. I can tell." Alice said, still staring at the plate intently.

"Okay, seriously Ali? You need to stop smoking that shit. This philosophical crap you spout out when you're high is absurd. Last week, you stared at a potted plant for twenty minutes and claimed that Bella's traffic case was going to be thrown out and she shouldn't be nervous about going to court. I mean, it was fucking rescheduled for Monday! Now, you think that the damn waffles are going to predict Bella's god forsaken love life? Perhaps we should seek treatment for you, 'cuz right now, you're making Ms. Cleo look qualified." Rose said, a smirk turning the corners of her lips.

"Fine. Don't believe me," Alice countered, "I'm just saying that there is more to this situation than just last night. I can tell that Edward is going to become a pretty permanent fixture in Bella's life. Plus, Bella, you're giving off more than just an, 'I had multiple orgasms' vibe. What do you think? " She asked, looking up from her plate and focusing on me. I could feel Rose's eyes on me as well and I took a deep breath; needing a moment to think.

_I want him to be my personal "dick on call". Does that count?_

I hadn't thought much about the possibility of seeing Edward again. After he left that morning, I assumed it would be the last time I would see him and I was fine with that.

_Denial is not just a river in Egypt… Who are you kidding?_

Or at least, I thought I was. Hearing Alice say that he would be a part of my life awoke a feeling of excitement in me, one I wasn't expecting.

_This is ridiculous, it's not like he'd date me…_

"Bella, you alive over there?" Rose chuckled, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm here. Just thinking." I answered, giving Rose a small smile.

"Well, don't think to hard. I'm telling you, he's interested." Alice said.

"Alice, you don't even know him." I responded, shaking my head.

"I don't have to, Bella. I know you. I've known you forever. Any guy that gets to know you, would be crazy not to want you. _You._ And not just because of your superior skills in bed." Alice stated.

"Listen, normally I think that the little one over here is crazy with the psychobabble bullshit, but she has a point. She's right about one thing – he'd be crazy not to want you." Rose chimed.

_Anyone else waiting for the Lifetime logo in the corner of the screen to appear?_

"Thanks guys. I don't want to get my hopes up – it's crazy. If something happens, then great. If not, then that's okay too," I said, but felt the exact opposite. The more I thought about Edward, the more I wanted to know. Thinking back to dinner at Eclipse, I recognized feelings of being safe around him. Not to mention the overwhelming chemistry - a level I had with no one else. "If Edward wants to turn this into something, I'm not going to turn him down. But, you should have seen him. He could have any woman he wants. Why would he want me?"

I started to pick at the food on the plate in front of me. Uncomfortable with the weight of Alice and Rose's eyes, I kept my eyes down.

"I've got to run, guys. I have a few things I need to do for work. Can I call you ladies later?" Rose asked, standing.

"Sure, sweetie. No problem." Alice said to Rosalie. Due to Rose's towering height even without the five-inch heels she had on, Alice's head was practically facing the ceiling.

"Hang in there, Bella. It'll all work out in the end. If not him, then someone else will come along for you. I haven't found him yet either. We can't all see the man of our dreams like Miss Clairvoyant." Rose said to me, hands on each of my cheeks and squeezing my face.

Rosalie walked out of the restaurant after throwing a few bills on the table. Alice turned to me, curious look on her face.

"Bella, why do you insist on thinking so low of yourself?" she asked. "I mean, you have this orange glow that wraps around you all the time. Can't you see it? I mean, it's so bright. You look like the sun follows you."

"I don't know about the sun, Alice. Maybe Rose was right about the whole 'smoking pot' thing. But also, you know what it's been like living with Rosalie for the past eight years. She's so beautiful that everyone takes a hit on their self-worth being in her presence. I'm just not that girl. I don't dream about my future husband every night." I said, teasing her.

Alice started dreaming of a man without a face over five years ago. Granted, her dreams only occurred after a night filled with inhaling leafy green substance, but it kept Alice from dating anyone that didn't feel like 'the one'. Apparently, Mr. Cowboy Sexpot was looking for her too - she just needed to be patient. And patient she was.

Rosalie on the other hand, was the exact opposite. She wasn't ever looking for 'the one', she was looking for the 'right now'. And, she was good at it. With a face that begs to be painted and a body that makes Sports Illustrated models envious, she was the embodiment of female perfection. She's what every woman longs to be and what every man dreams of. This has been both a blessing and a curse for Rosalie, though. It's made her bitter and she lost her faith in men years ago. When you live in New Orleans for nearly a decade and participate in Mardi Gras celebrations each year, you learn that men are pigs, pretty quickly. Between the copious ass grabbing and seeing Rose as nothing more than a great pair of tits, it's bound to make anyone a little wary, even her.

"Bells, just promise me one thing, okay?"

"Sure Alice," I said, incredulous. Last time Alice made me promise her something, I ended up pretending to be her lesbian lover to get a co-worker to leave her alone.

"Leave yourself open to something with Edward."

"Okay, Ali. No problem."

"I'm serious."

"Aaannd I will. I wouldn't ever toss him out of my bed," I sing-songed.

"You're fucking hopeless."

* * *

"You're so fucking beautiful. Have I told you that?" Edward said from between my legs. He trailed his lips from my inner thigh to my pussy, placing small kisses along the way. "Being inside you, feels better than I can explain."

"Oh Edward," I breathed, feeling his lips caressing the skin above my clit.

"I can't…wait…to be…inside…you…again," he said punctuating each word with a lick to my clit.

"Fuck, that feels so fucking good."

I could feel Edward's talented tongue lightly grazing the outer lips of my core and I moaned with the contact. He moved down towards my entrance, tracing small circles around my opening. Plunging his tongue inside, my hips shot off the bed and he slid he hand underneath my ass to hold me to his face.

"Holy fuck, baby. Your tongue feels…ugh, fuck." I whispered, grinding my hips on his face, soaking his lips and chin with my juices.

"Is this how you want me, love? Or would you rather I do this?" he asked as he slid two fingers inside me. Moving his tongue up to my clit, he wrapped it around the hard nub and sucked lightly.

"Oh, fuck. Please, Edward. Don't tease me, you know how I want it."

Still finger-fucking my wet pussy with his two long, tapered fingers, he turned his head and bit my inner thigh, hard.

"Tell me, love. Do you want my cock? All you need to do is ask and I'll fuck you hard enough to make you scream my name as you come all around me. You want to squeeze me, Bella? Tell me. Tell me what you want.

"Please, please yes," I whimpered, "I want you to fuck me, Edward. Please, don't make me wait. I need you."

"Good. Very good. You will not come until I'm deep inside you."

"Fuck! Please…"

Turning his head back to my pussy, he placed his lips and tongue back on my clit, never removing his fingers from inside me. I felt him curl his index and middle fingers upwards to stroke my g-spot. My whimpers and cries grew louder as I approached climax. Just as I was about to explode, I felt Edward's fingers leave my pussy and climb up my body to grab my nipples. I groaned in disappointment.

"Now now, love. I said I wanted you to come with me inside you. Now, do you want my cock, Bella?"

"God, yes. Fucking hell, please," I begged. Edward crawled up the length of my body and grasped his cock in his hand. Rubbing the head up and down the lips of my pussy, I mewled in the pleasure he invoked. He made my body sing in anticipation.

"That's it, sweet girl. Are you ready for me?" he asked, aligning himself with my entrance.

"Please, now," I said, wrapping my legs around his hips and tried to pull him closer, to bring him into my body. "Edward, please."

There was no response from the gorgeous man above me, and his body wouldn't budge. Pushing myself up on my elbows, I called his name repeatedly.

"Edward, Edward? Edward!" I said, and my eyes shot open.

Taking in my surroundings, I realized I was alone and my hair was plastered to my forehead from sweat. My core ached from the lack of release and I had to fight to catch my breath.

_You have GOT to be fucking kidding me. _

I finally got my breathing under control and I ran a hand through my matted hair. Looking at the clock, I realized I had fallen asleep hours ago in an attempt to rest before working a twenty-four hour shift at the hospital.

_So much for a restful nap. Alice said to leave myself open and my mind goes straight back into bed…_

Grabbing my Blackberry off of the night table, I opened a blank text message.

_Can't hurt, right? Worst that will happen is he won't respond._

Biting my lip, I thought about what to say. 'I had a great time the other night' sounded cheesy. 'I want to suck your cock' sounded too Transylvanian. "Please come and fuck me before work because my dream left me disgustingly unsatisfied' sounded too desperate. Simple. I needed simple. Finally settling, I tapped out a quick message.

**Edward, great to meet u. Hope all is well. Until next time… -B**

Figuring I wouldn't get back to sleep before needing to get up for work anyway, I took a shower. After putting on my scrubs, I checked my phone for a response. When I found none, I felt ridiculous.

_What was I thinking? Of course he's not going to write back. One-night-stand, remember? Also, could you have been cheesier?_

Shaking my head, I finished getting ready and left for work.

* * *

"Hey, Heidi?" I turned to face the brown haired nurse sitting at the desk in the middle of the emergency room, as she was furiously writing in a chart. "Since things have quieted down, I'm going to get some coffee. May I get you anything?"

"No, I'm alright. But, thank you Dr. Swan. You look like you could use a little down time," she said as I leaned my head on my folded arms perched atop the counter overlooking the large desk. "What hour is this for you?" she asked looking up at me, concern written on her face. I suppressed the urge to yawn.

"Moving onto twenty-eight I think. I always lose count after twenty-four, though. Well, I'm going to go but I have my pager if you need to reach me." Hesitantly moving away from the counter, I spun around to walk down the hallway towards the cafeteria, vaguely registering Heidi's acknowledgment.

_Must. Find. Caffeine. Fix._

Pulling my cell phone out of the pocket of the lab coat I was wearing, I checked to see whether or not I had missed any messages. There were two new voicemails, two missed calls from Alice, a missed call from Rosalie, a text from Angela and a text from… Edward?

_I got a text from Edward… I got a text from Edward! He probably forgot something, right? Like glasses, maybe his ID or …pride? Fuck, I shouldn't have sent that text earlier…_

Too afraid of what the message from Edward could possibly say, I checked Angela's message first. The message was from over two hours ago -

**B,**

**Heard you got slammed in ER with house fire. Hang in there. Txt for coffee brk.**

**-A**

Finally reaching the cafeteria, I tapped out a quick response to Angela letting her know I had some time if she wanted to meet me now. Quickly, I grabbed some coffee and sat down at one of the tables. Still feeling nervous about Edward's text, I sipped my coffee while entering my password to hear my voicemails. The irritating woman's voice droned from the speaker as she told me I had two new messages. Alice's voice chimed in just as I stopped paying attention.

_Bellllaaa, I love you. No really. I mean, I do. So, yeah. Anyways, I just wanted to call and say hellooo, 'cuz I miss you. I do! Oh, and that I borrowed your black tank top, you know, the one with all of the holes in it? So, okay. Oh! I remember the rules though and I'll be sure to wash it before I give it back so it won't smell like smoke. Or, pot smoke anyway. Okay, I'm off for the night. Have fun at work! See you Monday night! Love ya, bitch. _

I could tell from the beginning of the message that Alice wanted something from me, and clearly was high, again. This wouldn't be the first time that Alice called to ask to borrow something from me – from inside her own closet. I imagined this was one of those times, as I couldn't remember owning a shirt with holes in it. Chuckling, I heard Rose's voice from the speaker on my phone.

_Hey Whore. Yeah, I'm sure you're probably listening to this and laughing at our lovely roommate's claim that the shirt is yours and I can assure you, it's not. Probably just as you expected - I found her in her closet… again. At least this time she was dressed. Anyway, forget about her message and just focus on work. I'm taking her out tonight, hopefully without the assistance of Cheech and Chong. Call if you get a chance, love. Text if you need anything. Love ya! _

I deleted Rose's voicemail with a smile on my face. My phone beeped once signaling a new text message and I chuckled at the universe for feeding my procrastinating habits. The message was from Angela telling me she was on her way down to meet me for coffee. Opening the browser on my phone, I checked the news and my e-mail while sipping my coffee, anxiously waiting for Angela to serve as a pleasant distraction.

"Bella!" Angela called from the doors leading into the cafeteria. "I'm just going to grab a cup of liquid crack and I'll be right there." I nodded, placing my phone on the table and waited for her to sit down.

Angela collapsed into a chair across from me, looking every bit as exhausted as I felt. "Hey Ang, rough night?" I asked, leaning back into my seat. She took a deep breath before answering, trying to organize her thoughts I imagine.

"Oh, is it ever. I swear, who decided that it would be a good idea to have so many reconstructive surgeries today?" I shrugged. "Well, I'm going to kill them. I have four recovering patients, two of them with major back surgery done this afternoon. There isn't enough morphine in the world that could numb my ears to the sound of that buzzer."

"Which buzzer?"

"The 'Hey Nurse I'm dying but you can't do shit about it since I've already consumed more than my allotted pain meds' buzzer. There's that, and the fact that the nurses up in orthopedics with me are the laziest bunch of idiots I've ever seen. Just because it's three a.m. doesn't mean you can eat fried chicken at the nurse's station, Tayshawna."

"Angela!" I managed to spit out, while laughing behind my hand. She had haphazardly thrown one arm over her eyes, with her head back, facing the ceiling.

"What? You know it's true and besides, her name _is_ Tayshawna, anyway. You know the application process for nurses in orthopedics is no better than auditions for Soul Train."

"Wow. Strong feelings there, Ang?" I asked, spinning my cell phone in a circle on the table between us. Angela looked at me, then down at the object in my hands.

"You have a message, you know. The light's blinking," she said, pointing.

"I know," I groaned. "Ignore it, I know I am."

"That bad, huh?"

"Not…bad. I'm an idiot so I'm just… nervous?" The statement came out more like a question, and I cringed, knowing Angela wouldn't let this slide.

"Nervous you say? Hmm, that is intriguing. Who is it?" She asked, leaning both elbows on the table.

Putting my head down on my folded arms in front of me, I let out a muffled, "A guy I went out with."

Before I could react, Angela reached out and snatched my phone from my hands then pushed her chair away from the table, holding my Blackberry over her head.

"A guy, huh? And you won't look at the message? He's either A, the worst date ever and won't get the hint. B, not too interesting, so you don't care, or C, you actually like this guy and you're terrified of what the message may say. So, Bella, which is it? A, B or C?" I shook my head quickly, pursing my lips together. "Oh come on! I'm married, Bella! Let me live vicariously through you…"

"Fucking C,"

"Oh, I'm sorry, what was that?" She asked, cupping her hand behind her ear, giving me the international symbol for 'speak up'.

"I said the letter C, woman. You heard me."

"Well… speak!"

"Fine. But, I'm only doing this once. So… pay attention," I said, pointing at her. Covering my eyes with my hands, I leaned my head back to face the ceiling, much like Angela had done earlier. I took a deep breath and started, "Okay, so his name is Edward and I met him in court. He's a cop and looks delicious in uniform. Fuck, he's smart, funny, charming but quietly awkward. He seems completely unaware of how gorgeous he is, which is a damn joke since the man looks like embodiment of male perfection," Angela giggled, the motioned for me to go on. "He asked me out after I called him provocative names to his face during an unplanned angry rant and I said yes, after staring and practically drooling on myself. The date was fantastic, and we went dancing afterwards." I breathed out quickly.

"What did you call him?" She questioned, raising one eyebrow.

"I kinda, sorta, maybe called him… Officer Do-Me-Hard"

"What?!"

"Yeah, I know. I'm an idiot."

"But he still asked you out, so it couldn't have been that bad."

"It gets worse, Ang."

"How so?"

"Well, the night didn't end with dancing."

"Alright, elaborate," she said, with no judgment in her tone.

Shaking my head once more, "Ugh, well we were dancing…close, and we had already kissed during dinner,"

"Stop right there. You had already kissed at dinner? Seriously?" She asked and I nodded.

Talking about my date with Edward to Angela was easy when compared to Rosalie and Alice. She was non-judgmental and didn't have any concerns about my "vag's well-being and underuse" like Rosalie, and she didn't need me to have a soulmate like Alice did. I decided to be completely honest with her and tell her everything – how it felt to kiss him, the butterflies in my stomach whenever he looked at me, how my skin felt like it was on fire at the slightest touch and of course, how great he was in bed.

"… and his fucking cock is a work of art, Ang. The man played my body like the professionally trained musician he is… I didn't even know you could come that damn hard. I got wetter than Michael Phelps in Beijing. Honestly, his dick could win the Nobel Prize for world fucking peace," Angela was laughing hard enough that she needed to wipe the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "And he's inked, Ang. It's like my twat's kryptonite – I was helpless. Yet, he brought out my inner porn star, you know?"

Angela continued to chuckle, but calmed her laughter enough to get back to the matter at hand.

_Just because YOU can talk about Edward's dick all day doesn't mean she wants to… _

"So this text, it's from Edward "The Cop" Wonder Cock? What's stopping you?" Angela asked, running her thumb over my Blackberry, still in her hand.

"I'm nervous. I sent that stupid text earlier, what if he's telling me he never wants to hear from my two-bit hussy ass ever again? Or worse?"

"You'll never know if you don't read it, you know. How about I read it, and then I'll tell you what it says. Lessen the blow for you?" she said, glancing at the screen.

"Um, okay. I mean, that would be alright. Hope it doesn't say anything embarrassing, like 'Please improve blowjob skills then give me a call' or something like that," I joked, laughing nervously.

_You are fucking pathetic – it's a text, not a death sentence. Pussy. _

Angela pressed a few buttons on the phone, paused for a minute, then broke out into hysterics. Reaching over the table, I tried to swipe the phone from her hands, but she held it just out of my grasp.

"Bella, you're so stupid. Apparently, he wants your PIN. Was he a male escort and you forgot to pay him? What the hell is a PIN for BBM?" Angela asked, still laughing.

"My PIN? For BBM? That's how you add someone to Blackberry messenger, you iPhone addict." I said, reaching for the phone once more. Angela dropped it into my hands. After a deep breath, I looked at the phone.

**Hey, Glad 2 hear from u. I had a gr8 time too and want to talk 2 u... Wht ur PIN 4 BBM? –E**

_Holy. Hay-Zeus Kuh-Reese-Toe. He WANTS to "chat". _

I failed miserably at my attempt to conceal excitement. Practically vibrating in my seat, I heard Angela giggle as I bit my lip to hide the smile breaking through.

"Bella, calm down. The man didn't propose marriage, just… said he had a good time. You don't know what he really wants. Hell, he could be asking to fuck you with no strings and all that. Keep your eyes open, and your expectations low." Angela said as I sent Edward my PIN.

"Listen, I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm just glad he didn't tell me to fuck off and die. You know?" I said and Angela looked at me as if I was crazy. "Don't look at me like that, he could have."

"Sure, hun. Sure. Well, he didn't," my phone vibrated with a new message, "clearly,"

Looking at my phone once more, I saw that "E. Cullen" requested me as a contact for Blackberry Messenger. I quickly accepted.

**ECullen: Hey, found you. **

"I can see that I've lost you. Bella, I'm going to head back up to my floor and check on my patients. Come and find me before you go home. We'll chat about Edward some more."

"Alright, Ang. Bye," I said, not looking up from my phone. Angela got up and walked out of the cafeteria.

_Okay, idiot. Answer him!_

I tapped out a response, and immediately regret my awful word choice.

**BSwan: You did, and here I am.**

_Wow, Swan. Way to woo him with your overwhelming intelligent vocabulary. _

Crossing my legs, I stared at my phone, awaiting his response.

**ECullen: Yes, there you are. Sorry to pry, but what are you doing awake at this hour? **

**BSwan: Working since Friday night. What about you? It's really late. **

**ECullen: Same. Not quite as long as you, though. When do they let you leave?**

**BSwan: Eight in the morning, hopefully. You?**

**ECullen: Nine for me. Do you have a minute to talk?**

_Talk? I'd rather you were between my thighs, but talking works…_

**BSwan: I'm talking now, aren't I?**

**ECullen: Yeah, you are…sorry. I wanted to ask you something.**

_Way to offend someone, jackass. Nice going. _

Just as I was writing an apology to Edward, my pager went off, signaling my need to get back to the ER. I stood up and made my way out of the cafeteria, heading back through the long hospital hallways.

**BSwan: Sorry, but I have to get back to work. I'll write back when I have a minute. Okay? **

**ECullen: Sure. Until then…**

**BSwan: Bye Edward, duty calls.**

**ECullen: Bye.**

_Well, that's fucking awful. Now he thinks you're not interested. Right?_

Making my way to the nurse's station in the ER, I saw Heidi with several other nurses speaking quietly together. Heidi looked in my direction at the sound of my footsteps and her face relaxed when she saw me approaching.

"Dr. Swan," she called, "I'm so glad you're here. I didn't want to bother you, but we have an MVA with multiple patients about three minutes out."

"It's fine, Heidi. Tell me about what's incoming." I said, hand in my pocket, rubbing my thumb over the keypad of my phone. I shook my head slightly and followed her towards the ER doors. While my head was in the hospital, my mind was back in the cafeteria, with Edward.

* * *

_Love medicine, hate paperwork_.

Collapsing into a chair in my office, I slammed a stack of charts on the desk in front of me. Seeing as this was the first minute I had to breathe in over two hours, I pulled out my Blackberry to message Edward. Reading over the previous messages in the conversation, I realized I may have seemed a little cold. I sent him a message, trying to sound more upbeat.

_Fuck that. You just suck at flirting. _

**BSwan: Hey there, Officer. You have a minute or are you busy helping a kitten from a tree? **

As soon as I hit 'send', I knew that I may have taken the humor a bit too far. Edward, from what I remember, was playful but this… was stupid.

**ECullen: I'm horrified, Doc. Clearly, you have me confused with one of the pussies from FDNY. They help kittens – not us. **

**BSwan: My apologies, I didn't know kitten retrieval was a designated task.**

**ECullen: Oh, it is. You'll be forgiven under one condition…**

_Name it. I'm yours. _

**BSwan: And that is? **

**ECullen: Have breakfast with me. **

_Um, what? _

**BSwan: That's a pretty big condition, Officer. **

_No sleep, scrubs and hospital grime – Fuck._

**ECullen: Is that a yes?**

**BSwan: Not quite. Depends.**

**ECullen: On?**

**BSwan: When? Where? **

His response wasn't instantaneous, so I used the time to enter information in a few charts.

**ECullen: So it has nothing to do with me? Just location and time?**

The tone of Edward's message sounded almost…nervous. It was odd to hear him sound insecure. Deciding he needed reassurance, much like I did, I responded honestly.

**BSwan: No, nothing to do with company. That I'm more than okay with… just a girly moment. I'm in scrubs and have been working all weekend. **

**ECullen: Casual then. **

**BSwan: Okay. **

**ECullen: The Pink Teacup sound okay?**

**BSwan: Again, you've stumped me.**

**ECullen: I forgot you were a tourist… It's on Grove St. between Bleeker and Bedford in Greenwich Village. **

**BSwan: Okay. Time?**

**ECullen: How about 9:30?**

**BSwan: Sounds good. See you then. Charts are screaming at me.**

**ECullen: Okay, Doc. See you then.**

Putting my phone back in the pocket of my lab coat, I went back to the mountain of charts in front of me.

_They're not going to notate themselves…_

I jumped when I felt the vibration from my pocket. Grabbing the phone, I saw that Edward had sent another message.

**ECullen: I'm really looking forward to seeing you again, Bella. **

My cheeks flamed at the sentiment written on the screen. I replied, then grabbed my unfinished charts and walked out of my office.

_I can do the charts with Angela…_

* * *

**EPOV **

**BSwan: And I, you. **

_Only a few hours, then I can talk to her, see her... _

I was helpless to stop the cheek-stretching grin that spread across my face. Bella was different. Normally, I had no issues when it came to the opposite sex, but there was something about her that turned me into a bumbling fool. Our every interaction was nerve-wracking to say the least and I wondered if I would ever feel different around her. Ever since I first saw her in the courtroom, I couldn't shake the feelings coursing through my system. It was more than just simple attraction though. There was no doubt in my mind that she is an exquisite creature. The over-whelming feeling of rightness was amplified in just her presence.

Nervousness was an understatement when I thought back to the day I asked her to dinner in the lobby of the courthouse. It was sheer terror. My body was pulled towards her and I was powerless against the current, just as a compass is incapable of pointing anywhere but north.

"Whoa, dude. What the hell is _that_ smile?" my partner, Tyler asked, eyebrows raised.

"Uhh, no one. Nothing," I said quickly, avoiding his gaze. I knew that if Tyler took one look at me, he'd never let it go.

"Nah, fuck that shit. Fuckin' spill, bro."

"Really, it's not a big deal. Honestly." I answered, relaxing my face out of the smile that had been permanently planted there since Bella's first text message.

Turning to look at Tyler, I realized I must not have hidden my excitement as well as I'd thought. He took one look at my face and shook his head. Tyler was probably one of the better people to talk to about my current predicament, though. He had met is fiancée, Lauren, while waiting in line for concert tickets. They got drunk and slept together after the concert and had been basically attached ever since.

_And knocked her up with baby number one already…_

"What's her name?" he questioned, smirking.

"How do you know it's a her?"

"No man ever has that look on his face for anything but a chick. Dude, spill."

I inhaled and released a deep breath as I ran my hand through my messy hair. Perhaps talking to Tyler would help sort out the confusion I felt about the Bella situation.

"So, there's this girl," I started, "and we went out last week."

"Last week? And you look like this, bro? Wow, you got it bad," he said, laughing.

Rubbing my hand on the back of my neck and grimacing, I reluctantly agreed. "Yeah, I think I might. I mean, I barely know the girl. Plus, she's gonna book as soon as she finds out the fucked up situation we're in."

"What situation? Lay it on me," he said, making a sweeping motion down his torso. I laughed at his antics.

"You were the one that wrote her the ticket. I met her in court last week. When you missed the appearance because of Lauren."

"Wait a minute. Are you talking about 'hot ass doctor chick'? The one we pulled over for speeding in that ancient piece of shit mobile? That the girl you're talking about?" he inquired, shocked.

"Yep. That's the one. Only, I never fucking told her that I was in the car that night. She has no fucking idea. Like, at all. And when I saw her in court, I don't know, we had like, a weird fucking connection. From your description, I just knew it was her. She was also in scrubs, dude. There's nothing fucking hotter than a girl in scrubs," I said and he laughed.

"You're screwed, man. I can't believe you didn't tell her. I mean, its not like she would have known, but still. You could have warned her. Also, you have to see her in court tomorrow!"

"Ugh, don't remind me. That's why I'm fucked, Ty," I groaned.

"Alright, but it still doesn't explain why you're all fucking goo-goo over this chick now. You said you went out? How the hell did that happen?"

"Okay, so we're in court for fucking ever and I see her looking at me from across the way. Like, our eyes meet and shit," I said but was interrupted by his snort, "fucking shut up and listen, okay? You asked."

"Okay, okay. I'll stop. It's just, you sound all high-school with that shit," he chortled.

"Fuck you, dude. Anyway, so we're in court for fucking ever and this creepy ass guy was sitting behind her. I was pissed man, like he was trying to piss on my fucking territory but she and I hadn't even spoken yet. Then, long story short, I spoke to you and you said you weren't gonna make it in time to appear, so I told the judge. He told me to reschedule and I called her out of the courtroom to tell her. Next thing I know, she's turning fucking red as a lobster, ranting about everything and nothing. She fucking called me this cute-ass name and I asked her out," I said, trying to gloss over the nickname from Bella.

"What was the name?"

_I'm never going to live that down if I tell him. _

"Fucking forget that shit, bro. I'm not stupid enough to tell you. That shit will be all over the fucking station before we even get back in the morning."

"Oh, come on!" he cried, prying.

"Never. Anyway, so I asked her out. She said yes. We went out and it was…awesome," I said, staring out the windshield.

"And…"

"And, nothing. A gentleman never kisses and tells."

"Fuck. That. You know better. How the fuck can I give you insight if you don't fucking open your mouth?" he questioned, eyebrows raised once again.

"Okay, so we had dinner over at Emmett's new place and we went downstairs and danced afterwards. Things got a little hot and we left to go back to her place," I stated, quietly. Not wanting to divulge too much, I continued looking out the window and not at Tyler.

"Okay…so I can assume you did her all good and proper then?"

_Damn fucking straight I did…_

"Fuck man! Come on. You know I don't talk about this shit…" I whined.

_Could you be more of a fucking pussy, Cullen?_

"So how was she? I mean, from what I saw that night, she had one tight little fucking body," he chimed and I glared at him. Quickly, he recovered "Sorry, man. Just sayin'…"

"She was fucking incredible. Best ever. Is that enough for you?" I asked, angry.

"Yeah. So, how was the morning after? Was it weird?"

"That's the thing. I mean, the conversation at dinner was awesome. I just opened up to her, without even thinking. Honestly, I can't even explain why I said the things I said – I don't know her from Adam. But, I did. And she opened up right back. It was comfortable. I feel, protective of her even. I'm not sure if she noticed, but on the fucking dance floor, every dude was checking her out. She moved like pure fucking sex. Hottest thing I've ever seen. And in the morning, I didn't want to leave. Normally, I don't even stick around to see daylight. But, I hinted that I wanted to see her again and she didn't seem opposed to the idea. I really didn't want to leave, dude. She's like drug, bro. A calming, addicting drug," I ranted, out of breath once I finished.

"You need to stop talking to your dad if you're gonna make medical references to describe a girl. I mean, really." He said.

"Sorry, but it's true. She is just, different. It felt, I don't know…right, sleeping next to her. She just….fit," I mused, running my hands through my hair again.

I didn't want to tell Tyler about just how right Bella fit with me. Holding her that night was indescribable. Normally, I don't stick around to sleep next to a girl due to my problems with night terrors ever since the night I found my parents murdered.

_Don't start with that shit now, just close the door before it swings wide open._

These episodes at night tended to get out-of-control and no amount of therapy or medication had been able to stop them. Not until sleeping next to Bella, anyway.

_Wonder what that means… _

Shaking my head, I realized that Tyler had been speaking the entire time I was thinking to myself. Tuning back into the conversation, I caught the end of his advice in time to respond.

"…I get it, man," he said, "so, what's the problem? Were you just talking to her?" he asked, gesturing to my phone.

"Yeah. I was. She sent me a text earlier and I wrote back. We've been talking all night. I asked her to breakfast so I could try and explain the whole 'I was in the car for your ticket' thing. Think she'll be mad?" I questioned, looking at Tyler.

"Maybe. But, it's not like you were the one that wrote her the fucking ticket. I did. Make me the prick, dude. That way, you could have a shot. Do you think you have a chance? Do you want one?"

"I think so. I mean, I could see it possibly going somewhere. I haven't been in a relationship in years. Plus, she's a resident at Columbia uptown. She's busy. But, she seemed kinda cold through texts earlier," I added, shaking my head.

"But she agreed to go to breakfast with you. I mean, that's a huge step. So, obviously she's interested. Maybe she felt it too?"

"Maybe. Not sure. Never had a one-night-stand that I wanted to call back, you know?" I said and he nodded.

_God, I would give my left nut to get in bed with her again..._

"Well, I guess you should just talk to her. You'll see her at breakfast. Get a feel for the situation and decide from there. She may be different. She could turn out to be one of those crazy, clingy bitches. Lord knows you've had a bunch of those," he chuckled. "God, remember that nutcase from the bar night we had a few months back? She was a special one."

As soon as he said it, I shuddered. I remembered the blonde girl that stalked me for weeks following that night out with the guys from the station. I was hammered and made the mistake of bringing her home. She waited outside of my apartment every day for at least three weeks before she finally got the hint. It took four guys from the station to pry her crying ass off of me that last day.

"Bella doesn't seem like the type," I said.

"Bella! That was her name. Is Bella short for something? I don't remember…" he trailed off.

"Isabella. Isabella Swan,"

"That's right. Swan. I reviewed the notes from that stop the night before court. Anyway, I think you should go for it. I've never heard you talk like this before and I've known you for years," he said, smiling.

"You know what, I just might."

* * *

_Wonder how much trouble I'd be in if I shot the clock right now…_

After my talk with Tyler in the cruiser, the rest of my shift seemed to take forever. I must have glanced at the time on the dashboard forty times every hour until we returned to headquarters. Jumping out of the car, I heard Tyler laughing as I rushed inside, eager to change.

It was just after nine according to my watch and I needed a distraction while I got ready to have breakfast with Bella.

_I'll call Emmett's stupid ass to distract me with this week's episode of 'Notorious V.A.G.' The boy is bound to have banged something..._

Pressing 'two' on the speed dial, I brought the phone to my ear and listened to the ridiculous ringback tone Emmett refused to change.

_She thinks my tractor's sexy_

_It really turns her on_

_She's always staring at me_

_While I'm chuggin' along_

Clearing his throat, Emmett answered, "Emmett's dental office. We drill 'em and fill 'em"

I couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped when Emmett answered the phone. It had been years since he'd answered with a simple 'hello'.

"Hey there. It's Sunday so, here's me checking in," I said, still laughing. Emmett and I used to call each other every Sunday morning during college to make sure the other hadn't been kidnapped by a crazy female the night previous and the habit stuck with us. Rehashing stories of 'who, what, where, when and how hot' were a common occurrence, though Emmett tended to be a bit more graphic than I was. "Since you answered the phone, I'm guessing you had an uneventful evening last night." Smirking, I opened my locker to gather my things.

"If it had been, I'd be pretty pissed that you were calling so damn early, but no pussy for me last night. The restaurant was crazy. Stayed here late. I'm actually back here now with Seth so I'll put you on speaker."

I could hear the rustling of movement in the background and Seth's voice chimed in mumbling something unintelligible. After hearing his voice more clearly, I started speaking again.

"Hey Seth. How's being a slave to the food industry treating you?" I asked.

"Left me feeling like a Hebrew in Ancient Egypt, but I'll survive," Seth responded.

The look on Emmett's face when Seth answered me must have been priceless, as the two of the broke into loud guffaws on the other end of the line. Seeing my chance, I took the Bluetooth headset out of my bag and connected to my phone then placed it in my ear. There was no way that I could change out of my uniform without it.

"Hey guys, can you hear me?" I asked, grabbing my change of clothes from inside my bag.

Laughing, Emmett started, "Yeah Verizon man, we can hear you. Do you have your glasses on 'cuz we have the massive group of assholes here waiting for you to connect."

"God, you're such a dick, Em. You'll never let me live that one down, huh?" I questioned, remembering the day I went to meet my ex-girlfriend, Tanya's parents.

It was the one and only time I'd let a girl other than my mother pick out my clothes. Seeing as it was the first time I was doing the whole "meet the parents" thing, I took her advice and worn what she picked out. Apparently, her family was into appearances and my tattoos would have caused a scene. She came to me the day before with a garment bag containing a black zip-up windbreaker, khaki's and a white tee shirt. Not realizing I had run out of contacts, I was forced to wear my black plastic framed glasses to lunch that day. At the time, Emmett and I were still living together and when I had come out of my bedroom, phone attached to my ear, he repeatedly asked if I could 'hear him now'. It took about ten minutes before I understood what he meant.

"Fuck you," I quipped to Emmett, slipping off my shoes and unbuttoning my shirt.

"Okay, okay, sorry. Seth, could you grab that…thanks. Anyway, what are you up to this morning? Wanna head over here for some grub?" Emmett asked.

I pushed my feet into the legs of my jeans and pulled them up, covering my boxer briefs. The words came spilling out of my mouth before I could stop them. "I can't. I have to meet Bella for breakfast this morning." I was met with complete silence.

"Who's Bella?" Emmett asked after a few beats and I could hear the grin on his face.

"She's—" I started but was cut off quickly by Seth.

"Bella's the girl Edward brought to Eclipse for dinner the other night. Remember Emmett? I called you," Seth spoke and I could tell his statement spoke volumes to my brother.

"A girl you've been out with before? Edward, is he serious?" Emmett questioned, awe in his tone apparent.

Banging my forehead lightly into the locker in front of me, I bit back a groan as I thought about my answer to Emmett's question. Lifting my head, I changed my shirt and placed my uniform back into the locker. I grabbed my jacket, phone, wallet and keys and made my way out of the station.

_Fucking Seth! Why did HE have to be the waiter that night? Him and his big fucking mouth! _

"Yeah Emmett. We went to the restaurant last week," I mumbled. Raising my hand in the air, I flagged down a cab to take me to The Pink Tea Cup.

"So what's the deal, bro? Talk to me," Emmett responded. Practically hearing the gears turning, I asked him to hold on a minute while I got into the cab and gave the address of my destination.

"Listen, I promise to give you all of the details, but can I just…not…right now?" I asked, hoping he would let this slide. I loved Emmett more than I could express with words, but I couldn't think about all of this now. My mind needed to focus on how to tell Bella about our situation.

_And hopefully see her naked again. _

Closing my eyes at the imagery my thought process invoked, I was jolted back to the present as the cab driver slammed on the brakes. I could hear Emmett breathing through my headset.

"Edward, you're going on a second date with someone. You never 'date'. You fuck. Plain and simple. You can't just lay this shit on me and expect me to back down," Emmett replied. "Seriously, the only other person that goes through women like you is _my_ handsome ass. You told me all the gory fucking details about the three blondes last month!"

"Em, stop," I said firmly.

"Then there's the redhead, the flight attendant, the waitress that interviewed for me, the bank teller…" Emmett would have kept going but I cut him off. The cab turned down a street not far from where I needed to end up.

"Ugh, could we not review my Pink Taco Tour of the East Coast this morning? It's a little early to relive that shit," I said, putting a hand over my eyes. "Could we just address the matter at hand?"

Movement on Emmett's side of the phone was obvious and I heard Seth whispering but I couldn't decipher what he said. While they were speaking, I tapped the glass partition in front of me and asked the cab driver to drop me off here. We were only half a block from the restaurant. Seth and Emmett were still conspiring as I paid the driver and got out of the cab.

"Alright Edward, I'll leave it be for now. But, call me later okay? After breakfast?" Emmett sounded hopeful.

_What in the FUCK did Seth just say? Emmett never let shit go without a fight. _

"Will do Emmett. I'll call. Listen, I gotta head inside now but I'll talk to you later. Seth?"

"Yeah?" Seth responded.

"Thanks, and I'll call you soon okay?"

"Sure man. Look forward to it. Oh and Edward?" Seth asked and I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

"She's beautiful. Good luck." Seth said and I could feel my lips turn up into a smile.

_She's more than beautiful. She's fucking exquisite…tantalizing and positively captivating. _

"Thanks. Bye guys." I said and hung up the phone, not waiting for a reply. Taking a deep breath, I started walking again.

My palms were sweating profusely despite the slight chill of the May air in New York City. The towering skyscrapers turned streets into wind tunnels and made walking a few feet feel like a marathon. Of course, it didn't help that I was already nervous about breakfast with Bella. With my pulse pounding in my chest, I wove through the ever-present individuals crowding the sidewalk and headed into the restaurant.

Obtaining a table for breakfast on a Sunday in this city could be damn near impossible so I was a little surprised to find the place reasonably deserted. I spoke with the hostess and she led me to a small booth next to the window.

I sat down and picked at the napkin in my hands while staring out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bella. My phone chimed from in my pocket and I pulled it out, checking to see the message.

**BSwan: Be there in a minute. See you soon. **

My excitement quickly turned to panic as I re-read the message.

_How in the FUCK do I say hello? Do I kiss her? Shake her hand? Hug her? Grab her ass and say 'Hi Bella, you're really fucking hot and I'd love to be balls deep in that sweet pussy of yours while you're bent over this table?' _

_Probably not._

_Just grab her tits and press my lips to hers while pushing her against the window?_

_Not so much._

_How about, 'Hey, how was work? Can I live between your thighs?' _

_Nope._

_I've got it! 'Greetings! Did you know that the mere thought of kissing you makes me hard enough that it could've sunk the Titanic faster than the iceberg?' _

_Oh yeah hotshot…that'll work._

Groaning, I felt my dick hardening at the thought of Bella's lips and tongue caressing mine when a familiar, melodic voice broke me out of my internal battle.

"Penny for your thoughts, Officer?"

_Fuck. Me. _

**A/N:** Don't kill me for leaving it there! Updates will come more often than before! Reviews make them appear faster… JS

TO ALL WRITERS OF INDIES FIRST TIME WRITERS CHALLENGE – Congratulations! I'm proud to say that I was a part of such a talented group of individuals. I wish you all the best 3

To my beta, IHaveADickuh – You fucking rock socks and shit.

Twitter h00rs – I love you. Come and play! I'm LaraIsAwkward

I can haz revoo? Pleez??


	3. Pancakes With A Side of Fail

A/N: Ah, we meet again. Awesome. Thanks for sticking with me. I love you. Hard.

To everyone who reviews, alerts and favorites – I am humbled every single time I see an e-mail from one of you…

More at the end…

Disclaimer:

**Things I Own:** A bookcase that's taped to the wall, a waffle iron and far too many empty packs of cigarettes in my car…

**Things I Don't Own:** A '68 Shelby Mustang, anything from The Gap or Twilight. I know, I cry about it too. The Twilight part anyway, …The Gap part however …I couldn't give a shit less.

"**Chapter 3 – Pancakes With A Side of Fail"**

BPOV

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Mother fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Shit. Damn. Fuuuck._

I spotted Edward immediately as I walked into The Pink Tea Cup. Not that he would have been hard to find; all I needed was to follow the eyes of every female and some males in the restaurant. He was sitting in a booth by the window, staring intently at one spot like it held the secrets to eternal life. Edward was even more attractive than I remembered. I stood, frozen in place and unable to approach him.

_Just walk over, idiot. You've already slept with the guy! One foot in front of the other…_

Forcing my muscles to move, I made my way over to the booth currently occupied by Officer Wonder Cock, himself. He moved his gaze from the window, down to the table in front of him and I wondered if he saw me coming.

_Oh, he did. He's the reason you came. Twice. Remember?_

Shaking the smirk from my face at the memory of Edward above me, I cleared my throat to capture his attention. His eyes stayed on the table. The panicked look on his face reminded me of the trepidation I felt the entire trip here.

_Umm, hello? You in there, Edward?_

Instead of taking a seat at the booth across from him, I took one step closer and leaned my mouth next to his ear. Deciding to tease him for the lack of attention, I whispered, "Penny for your thoughts, Officer?"

Edward's eyes snapped to mine, slightly unfocused with a look of fear in their depths. A huge smile broke out on his face and his shoulders relaxed. My knees felt weak and I discreetly placed my hand on the table for support.

"Bella," he breathed and motioned for me to sit down.

Not trusting my legs to carry me, I dragged my hand across the table to hold my weight as I shifted into the booth opposite him.

"Hello Edward, you okay?" I questioned, taking in his features as I removed my jacket.

_Is it warm in here? _

"What do you mean?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"You looked a little lost when I walked up. Everything okay?" I repeated my question.

Turning, I folded my jacket next to me on the bench seat and I debated what to do with my hands. All my body wanted was to reach out and grab his hands in mine, to feel his skin. I longed to feel the warmth I'd come to appreciate during our short time together at Eclipse. Edward's hands were clasped in front him, thumbs resting against his lips with his elbows on the table.

_Table? Lap? Grab his hand? Fuck, why do I care?_

With a slight roll of my eyes at my internal argument, I intertwined my fingers and placed them atop my crossed legs. Realizing Edward still hadn't answered my question, I looked up at his face only to find him staring at me.

"Edward?" I called, feeling uncomfortable.

_Is there shit on my face or something?_

"Sorry, sorry. I was just thinking. Nothing special, just…lost in thought. How was your trip here? Find the place okay?" he asked, removing his hands from his mouth.

I groaned, "Well, the building yeah, but I kinda got lost getting off of the subway. I walked two blocks in the wrong direction before I figured it out." Feeling ashamed, I looked down at my hands.

"Sorry to hear that," he apologized and I could hear a smirk in his voice. "Hey, don't worry about it." Edward dipped his head down, eyes trained on me.

"Not a big deal, I just don't have the greatest sense of direction in this city. All of the buildings look the same to me. Where I grew up, you had to make an effort to get lost. Even New Orleans made sense as the trains were all above ground. It's just odd to be underground and then resurface in a completely new place." I spoke.

"It does take some getting used to. You'll figure it out." He said.

_Would you teach me? _

Not knowing how to respond, I bit my lip and looked towards the window.

_Insert awkward silence here. God, I'm such a fucking date fail._

Lucky for me, a waitress appeared at our table and handed each of us a menu. She took a pad of paper out of the apron tied around her waist.

"I'll give you a minute to look over the choices, but can I get you both something to drink while you decide?" she asked, taking a pen from her hair.

Looking to Edward, he gestured for me to speak first.

"I'll just have coffee, thanks." I replied.

"Same."

_Ooh, banana pancakes. Tasty. _

Reading further through the items listed, I snorted thinking of Rosalie's reaction to the options. She was one of the 'I'll just have half a grapefruit, thank you' types. Putting one of my fingernails between my teeth, I chucked, continuing Rosalie's response to the menu choices in my mind.

_Oh, omelets? Pancakes? Waffles? Like my ass isn't big enough already… Bacon? Are you kidding me? Don't you have anything that won't have me looking like I live at a McDonald's drive-thru window? _

My musings were cut short as my menu was slapped to the table. Seeing one of Edward's hands holding the laminated plastic against the barrier between us, my mouth watered.

_Those fucking hands. Those agile yet delicate fingers on my neck as he's kissing me. Those fingers squeezing my nipples. Those fingers slowly trailing down my stomach and reaching beneath…_

"Alright, I can't take it," Edward stated and my head snapped up, effectively breaking my thought process. I gulped audibly, fearing I voiced my mental ramblings again. He interrupted, "What is so funny over there? Since when is breakfast food a comedy?"

_Oh sweet merciful Christ… Thank fucking GOD I didn't say that shit out loud. That would have made things interesting…' Why yes, Edward, I'll have the pancakes with a side of your hand in my pussy'… _

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was just looking at the options and noticed the lack of health food on the menu," I said as I twisted my fingers together nervously.

"Is it not okay? I mean, we can go somewhere else…"

"No!" I stopped him. "This is more than fine. I'm not a lettuce and water type of girl. I have an actual appetite. Well, I mean, I eat…food. A lot. Wait… not to say that I don't care about what I eat, it's just…I like food that tastes good," I rambled and pulled at the collar of my scrubs.

_Fuck, now he's going to think you're a gluttonous idiot. Way to go, genius. _

Chancing a look at his face, I was shocked to see amusement plastered across his features. I gave him a weak smile and looked down at the table.

"Bella," he said and I looked up. "I'm glad you like food. It's refreshing to meet a woman that enjoys eating. I noticed at dinner the other night when you ate something other than salad." There was an odd moment of silence before the look on his face flashed to horror. "Shit, wait. I didn't mean that. Well, I did…I just didn't mean to make it sound like I was calling you fat…because you're not. Far from it. In fact, I think you have an incredible physique...damn. Can I start over? Hi, I'm Edward and I'm an idiot with no grasp of the English language."

_Did he just say he liked my body? 'Cuz, I really like him liking my 'physique'. Cue internal squeal!_

"Hi Edward, I'm Bella and apparently, I'm not a beached whale. Nice to meet you," I said, laughing.

"That sounded really bad, didn't it?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.

_He's so fucking adorable. _

"No," I shook my head. "I understood what you meant, but thanks, anyway. So now that introductions are out of the way…" I began but the waitress walked back to the table with our drinks.

"So, what can I get you two this morning?" The waitress asked, her pad and pen already in her hand.

"Actually, could we have a few minutes?" Edward questioned, picking up his menu.

"Sure, I'll be right back," she said before moving away.

"All that time and you couldn't figure out what you wanted? I mean, you recommended this place, Edward. Don't you have the menu memorized here, too?" I joked. Shaking his head, I watched as his eyes flew across the menu, reading.

"Contrary to popular belief, I've never actually been here. I've been meaning to, but I never got around to it," he teased. "Also, I was distracted."

"Distracted?"

"Yes, distracted. I was trying to figure out what was funny enough to have you giggling over there," he said, resting the menu on the table, probably to give the waitress the universal signal for 'I'm ready'.

_Wonder what the universal sign for "screw conversation and fuck me on this table" might be?_

"Oh, well, I was reading the menu but thinking of my roommate Rosalie's reaction to the choices. She's one of those 'watching my figure' types, though, she doesn't need to," I said but caught the waitress making her way back to the table.

_Was she fucking staring or some shit? Back the fuck up, bitch. He's mine. Wait…what?_

"So, have we decided what to eat? I'll tell you, you'd be hard-pressed to find some_thing_ that isn't good here," she drawled. The innuendo in her tone had me contemplating assault.

_You'd be amazed at the damage I could inflict with a butter knife, darling. I'd gladly remove your lips and give new meaning to the phrase 'kiss my ass'…_

Again, Edward gestured for me to speak first. "I'll have the banana pancakes, thank you," I ordered, then looked to Edward instead of the waitress.

_If looks could kill, I'd have a warrant out for my arrest for murder right now…_

"And what can I get for you?" the waitress crooned, leaning towards Edward.

"I'll have the pecan pancakes with a glass of orange juice, thanks," he replied, moving farther back in the booth, slightly.

"Ooh, the pecan? Those are my favorite," she stated and put one hand on the table.

"Yeah?" Edward asked and the waitress nodded. "Glad to hear they're good then."

Unable to resist my need to disrupt her attempts at flirting, I asked, "Do you make walnut pancakes here?"

_What the fuck, Bella? Just because you fucked the guy doesn't mean you can piss on his leg…_

She seemed surprised at my question but turned to answer regardless. "Oh, no. We don't. Good thing ,too. I'm allergic to nuts."

_Does your IQ drop in the mere presence of a complete idiot?_

"Oh, I'm uhhh, sorry to hear that," Edward said, attempting to hide to his laughter, but failed miserably. Lifting his hand to his face to block his words, he mouthed 'Is she serious?' as his shoulders shook with restraint.

I sucked in my lips to stifle my giggles and closed my eyes as if that would help the situation.

"I'll go and put your order in," the waitress spoke quietly, dejected and walked away from the table. Upon her retreat Edward and I both broke out in hysterics.

"God, was she serious?" Edward inquired in between laughs.

"Apparently," I responded.

"Wow, that was…_interesting_ to say the least. Sorry about that," Edward acknowledged, admitting he knew of the waitress' obviousness.

Shrugging, I attempted to appear unfazed. I was more upset than I wanted to admit both to Edward and myself. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure it happens all the time." Edward frowned at my comment then mumbled quietly and I couldn't make out what he said.

"So your roommate, Rosalie was it?" he asked and I nodded. "Tell me about her. Something other than her dietary habits," Edward teased.

"Rosalie? Well, she's a special one. She makes Helen of Troy look ugly, honestly. But, that's just her physical appearance. Rose is tall, blonde haired, blue-eyed, with a perfect body, regardless of what she eats. Men ogle her and women worship her. See, people see her and they think she's nothing more than a beautiful woman. Beautiful, but dumb. That couldn't possibly be farther from the truth."

"How so?"

"Rose is disgustingly smart, almost frighteningly so. She could very well outsmart me on a multitude of subjects. Most people never find that out though, they never give her a chance," I stated sadly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he apologized and I raised an eyebrow. "Really, I am. It's hard to compete with preconceived notions."

Edward face radiated sadness and I wanted nothing more than to reach out and console him. "Preconceived notions…" I said, but he cut me off before I could ask anything further.

"So, what does she do? She was with you in New Orleans, right? How did she end up here?" He interrupted quickly.

_Wonder what that was about? _

"Well, Rose and my other roommate, Alice are the main reason I ended up here. Rose and I met during our second week in school. We both had awful roommates starting out. Also, I was seventeen when I started but only for a few weeks. Even so, I felt really out of place. Rosalie and I ended up as roommates and we were inseparable. Then, directly from grad school, Rose was recruited by an aerospace defense contractor here in the City as an engineer," I responded and Edward looked impressed.

"Wow, that's…something. Who does she work for?"

"Not sure. She's can't tell us. Never could. Just said that she was taking a job in New York City and she wanted me to follow her. Alice was already here as she went to Columbia right out of high school."

"Oh yeah? Columbia? I know a few people that went there," he said, smiling. "So what does Alice do? Or is she still in school?" Edward inquired.

"Alice? Well, Alice has an…._interesting_ profession, to say the least. If you know her anyway," I divulged, a small grin on my lips, "she's kind of a goofball."

_How do you tell a cop that your roommate is a pothead without getting her arrested?_

"Why a goofball?" Edward took a sip of his coffee then rested both elbows on the table and leaned in my direction.

Mirroring his actions, I took a sip of coffee before I started, "Alice is…special. She's a really little thing, just about five feet tall. She's got short black hair and these crazy grey eyes. Honestly, it's like the color of the sky before a big thunderstorm, she's…"

"Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt, but I've got to stop you there. Grey eyes? Really?" he asked, incredulous. Talking about eye color immediately had me staring at his. They were jade with spirals of gold and amber sewn throughout. My breath came in faster as I continued to stare.

_Talk about getting lost, fuuuuuuck… they're gorgeous. Just. Like. Him._

Shaking my head, I explained, "yeah, grey. They were bluer when we were kids but they've only gotten greyer since. That's Alice though. Nothing about her is typical. She's quite the odd one in the bunch, scatterbrained like you can only imagine. Alice has been known to get lost in the closet on numerous occasions."

"She sounds like quite a character, but you haven't said why that makes her job interesting," he fished.

"Okay, so Alice is the palest of the pale. She grew up in Forks, like me. It's one of the single rainiest places in the U.S. She's the epitome of Caucasian and…quirky. She went to school here for marketing. So, when I tell you that she works for BET, you can't help but laugh."

"Wait," he stopped, putting his hand in the air, "BET? Like, the television network?"

"Exactly the one," I smiled as he started to chuckle, "she works as on-air planner for the creative services department. Roughly translated, that means she helps to book all of the promotional stuff that occurs on-air. Things like award shows, features. It's actually pretty interesting, but when you look at the types of musical artists, it's just strange. I think the farthest Alice dabbled into hip-hop before she started there was Vanilla Ice."

Edward laughed, causing his eyes to crinkle and I swooned. Attempting to hide my reaction, I picked up my coffee and hid my smile behind the cup.

_God, even his teeth are beautiful. Fuck, what am I? A dentist? Oh, Edward, your lateral incisors make my lady bits tingle. _

"So besides her horrible taste in rap music and grey eyes, anything else make Alice odd?" Edward questioned, leaning even farther towards the middle of the table.

My body moved to his as if a marionette was pulling my strings and I was unable to fight the action. "Can you keep a secret?" I whispered and the air crackled between us.

_He's my own personal brand of Rice Crispies…_

"Of course," he spoke and ducked his head down, meeting me at eye level. "I'll tell no one." Edward dragged his index and middle finger across his lips in a zipping motion then raised his hand over his shoulder, releasing his fingers.

"Well, Alice has an affinity for inanimate objects," I breathed, taking my hands and resting them on the table.

Edward scratched his head and shot me a look that screamed, 'too much information'. "How so? In like…an, 'I prefer them over men' kind of way?" he asked, cringing.

"Wait, what? No! How can you even ask that?" I questioned and moved away from the table quickly in horror. "That's, just…disturbing. Why would I say that?"

_Yet, Alice's vibrator collection rivals the storage unit for a sex toy ecommerce site…_

"Sorry! I didn't know! That's…how it sounded, I guess. You said she was odd," he retorted.

"Yes! As in, she's convinced that food and houseplants tell her the future after smoking ridiculous amounts of pot! Not that she humps them!" I disclosed, turning to look out the window. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Edward attempting to hide his laughter.

_Please don't mention the pot…please don't mention the pot…_

The waitress approached with Edward's glass of orange juice and placed it on the table with an audible clink. Looking at the ground she mumbled, "Your food will be out in a minute," and disappeared to the kitchen.

_That's right, bitch. Cower… I am woman! Hear me…wait, he's talking?!_

"…sorry for laughing. It's just, I can't believe she talks to food," Edward stated, apologetic yet still amused.

_She's high, not schizophrenic…_

"She doesn't talk to the food, the food talks to her. It's very different," I teased. The crease between Edward's eyebrows faded as he heard me speak.

"My mistake. So, the objects…_talk_…to her…okay. That's…different," he stammered and I nodded. "And they tell her the future?" Edward asked, skeptical yet interested.

"She'd like to think so. Rosalie and I are a bit more realistic than that. But, we usually don't fight her about it. It really is comical at times. There was one time, when I was visiting her during undergrad that tops the rest of the Alice tales," Edward leaned in closer, reaching his arms across the table, close enough to my own that I could feel his body heat.

_Don't think about his hands, you know where that leads…wait, what was I about to say? Oh, Alice…right._

"Okay," I started, chucking already. "Alice and I finally made it back to her dorm after stumbling around for about an hour. She forgot her room number after a party on a different floor filled with copious amounts of alcohol. We knocked on quite a few doors before we found the right one. Unfortunately, we had acquired some followers along the way – a group of maybe five or so guys Alice usually partied with," Edward frowned and I paused.

_What the hell is that face for? I'm not saying anything illegal…_

"So, what happened next?" Edward questioned, not meeting my eyes.

"Well, actually, we made a pit stop in one of the guys' rooms before we got back and Alice partook in a little, recreational hookah time," I said, glancing at Edward, waiting for him to acknowledge he understood and he nodded, smiling. "So, she convinced them to come back to her room with the promise of potato chips and cake. When we got back, Alice tore into a bag of Terra chips like it was a religious experience. We watched as she chewed, saying nothing for maybe, twenty minutes before speaking. Her eyes glazed over at one point and she stopped moving. Alice is known for being quite the ball of energy so everyone was a bit surprised. She then threw the bag of chips across the room, ripped off her shirt and stood up. Pointing at each one of us separately, she spouted out facts about the future as if she opened a fortune cookie for each person!" I said, laughing.

Edward's smile reached from ear to ear and I nearly sighed. "What sort of things did she say?" he chuckled.

"Stupid things like, 'you will remain a virgin until you're thirty-six', 'once you stop eating hot dogs, you'll be able to shit without crying', and then something about one of the guys 'living with his mother until he's forty'. It was…interesting, to say the least."

"I can imagine. What did she say about you?" he questioned, still leaning towards me.

"Nothing special, just that I'd end up in New York someday."

Edward opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the waitress' approach with our food. She placed each of our plates in front of us and Edward requested more coffee. My stomach growled loudly.

_Oh shit, I hope he didn't hear that. _

Edward picked up his fork and knife and asked, "So Alice, she was…"

"No," I interrupted, unwilling to continue our previous conversation and think about Alice's predictions coming true. "I've monopolized the morning, I'd rather hear about you."

He paused, swallowing a mouthful of pancake. "What would you like to know?" he grinned.

_That fucking smile! Ugh, yes._

Cutting a small square out of the pancakes from my plate, I took a bite and moaned. "Wow, this is so good. Thanks for recommending this place. These are incredible," I stated, gesturing to the plate. Edward's Adam's apple bobbed slowly and I stared, mesmerized by the action.

Clearing his throat he mumbled, "I'm glad you like it," before lifting a rather large forkful of food to his mouth. His eyes were closed as he chewed and he shook his head minutely from side to side.

_Did I say something wrong? _

Attempting to jumpstart the now lull in our conversation, I asked, "Do you have any roommates? You've heard all about mine." I smiled, despite my fear that I'd done something wrong.

"No, no roommates. I'm fortunate enough to live alone. I used to live with Emmett during college, but I'm glad that's over," he replied in between bites.

"Why are you glad it's over? Was he that bad to live with?" I joked. The waitress refilled our coffee cups and I took a sip while waiting for Edward to answer.

"Bad may be the wrong term. Difficult? Uninhibited? I know that we're blood-related but it doesn't mean I'm fine with him eating cereal naked in the middle of the kitchen. Plus, he was kind of a slob. I love him to death, but he's not the easiest roommate. Could have been worse though," he said, smirking. "Then again, it was never just Emmett in the apartment. Our friends from home used to come up and visit all of the time. All I can say is, thank god for practice rooms at school. If it weren't for them, I would have never gotten anything accomplished."

"Friends from home? Didn't you grow up here in New York?" I questioned, confused. "After you moved from…Chicago," I finished quietly, not wanting to remind him of his parents.

Edward's face fell slightly before he smiled, "Nope. Once I moved from Chicago, Emmett's parents had already moved out of the city and to the Jersey Shore," he said, eating again.

Before I could ask Edward what town specifically, my phone vibrated in my jacket pocket. Scrambling to find the offending piece of machinery, I heard Edward laugh at Rosalie's ringtone…

_I've never known a girl like you before_

_Now just like in a song from days of yore_

_Here you come a knockin', knockin' at my door_

_And I've never met a girl like you before_

Finally retrieving the Blackberry, I held it up and asked Edward if he minded. He shook his head and told me to "go right ahead".

Pressing 'accept', I brought the phone to my ear and mouthed 'I'm sorry," to Edward. He chuckled and quietly whispered, "Seriously, don't worry about it."

"Hello Rosalie," I drawled.

"Fucking hell, woman. I can't believe I set an alarm for eleven o'clock in the morning on a Sunday for you," Rosalie griped.

_Shit, is it really eleven o'clock already?_

"Well hello to you too, Rosalie," I teased.

"Since you're not responding with 'oh, that's so terrible', I assume breakfast with the hot cop is going well?" Rosalie yawned. At the mention of 'hot cop' I chanced a look at Edward. He was staring directly at me with a wicked smirk on his face.

"You are correct. Thank you." I quipped, eager to get off of the phone.

"Alright, alright. Go ahead. Suck his cock for me, okay?"

"Rosalie!" I reprimanded. "You…nevermind. I'll see you at home, okay?"

"Sure thing Bubbles," she retorted, then disconnected.

Placing the phone back into my jacket pocket, I heard Edward cackling across the table.

"What?" I asked, intrigued.

"Obligatory 'fake emergency' phone call from the girls?" Edward asked, looking at his knuckles with his eyebrow raised and a knowing smirk on his lips.

_Busted. Quick, think like Bill Clinton! Deny! _

"What? No. Definitely not." I responded, shaking my head quickly.

"Seriously, Bella? I'm a cop. It's my job to know when someone's lying," he teased, "Not that I'd need it in your case."

_He's got a point…_

"Alright, I confess."

"See? That wasn't so hard. And please, don't feel bad. I'm sure I'll get a text from Emmett soon enough asking why I haven't called him yet and whether or not he'll need to bring alcohol over later," he chuckled.

_Bring alcohol over? Am I really that bad?_

"So, before Rosalie interrupted, you were telling me about where you grew up. Please continue," I said.

"Okay, I'll talk and you eat," he stated and I picked up my fork. "Well, I came to live with Emmett and our family right after my parents died. They had already moved away from the city and into what used to be an inn directly on the water."

Swallowing a mouthful of food first, I stopped him. "Wait, you said _our_ family."

"That's right. Esme, Emmett's mother, and my mother were twin sisters. So technically, I went to live with my aunt and her husband, Carlisle."

"Wow, I guess I didn't realize…"I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"It's no big deal," he laughed. "I never told you. So, I came to live with them and we grew up in a house on the shore. I stayed there until college, where, as you know, I went to school here in the city. I fell in love with New York immediately and never left."

"So, you're technically not a native New Yorker," I joked and he smiled.

"No, not in the literal sense, but I know my way around. Plus, Esme used to drag Emmett and I here all the time when we were younger, so I've gone to all of the tourist spots."

"Really? I've been here since November and I haven't gone to even one of them," I paused, thinking. "Actually, that's not true, I've been to Central Park a few times just to walk around. And of course, I've seen the outside of the Empire State Building." I laughed, thinking about all of the times I came to visit Alice while she was in school here and not once did we do anything 'touristy'.

"Well, that's just blasphemy!" Edward mocked. "I consider it my responsibility as a non-native-but-might-as-well-be-one-as-I've-been-here-for-ten-years, to show you around this beautiful place."

_Wait…did he just ask me on another date? _

"I'd like that," I said, trying to hide my smile but it lifted from ear to ear.

Edward and I kept talking until almost one in the afternoon. He spoke very little about family True to his word, he, too, received a text message from Emmett asking if everything was okay and to call him immediately. Unfortunately, my lack of sleep caught up with me, and I had been unable to stop yawning for the past twenty minutes. The check rested on the table between us, yet neither of us made any move to leave.

"I'm so sorry, you must be exhausted. I should let you get home," Edward said, apologetic.

"No, I wanted to be here. I'm glad I stayed. Fortunately, I have the day off tomorrow as I need to be in court." I joked and Edward's face fell.

"Yeah, about that," he started and he rubbed the back of his neck with one of his hands. "I sort of need to talk to you about that whole situation."

_What situation? Has my case been rescheduled? I'll fucking kill someone if that's the case and then they'll really have a reason for me to be there._

"What is it, Edward?" I asked, nervous.

"Okay, so, will you promise to hear me out before you react to anything?" he pleaded and the look on his face almost had me agree.

"Just tell me."

"The night that you got the ticket? It was my partner that gave it to you," I opened my mouth to interrupt him, but he held his hand up. "I was in the car. Listen, I didn't know it was you. I mean, I didn't even look at your driver's license photo. I had no clue. None. He described you to me that night but it wasn't until I saw you in the courtroom the other day that I even put two and two together!" he spat out quickly, not making sense.

_Wait a hot fucking second, he WHAT? _

"Excuse me," I asked as politely as possible. "Could you repeat what you just said?"

"The reason you're in court, it's uh, because of my partner, Tyler. He was the one that pulled you over and gave you the ticket. But, like I said, I was in the car that night. I didn't see you, but I was there. And, I'm sorry," he said, head slumped with his chin to his chest.

"Are you saying that I fucked my arresting officer, Edward? Are you fucking kidding me?" I spat.

"No! First off, you weren't arrested. Second, Tyler was the officer that wrote you the ticket. I didn't even get out of the car! The first time that I laid eyes on you was in the courtroom the other day! I swear!" He said pleadingly.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me, Edward. How could you keep this from me?" I questioned and willed myself not to cry. Betrayal sat on my chest like weights attached to a deep-sea diver, bringing me farther into the unknown.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I really am. You're right, I should have told you. But, you don't understand! I wasn't even supposed to be in court that day! Tyler was the one that needed to show up. He wrote you the ticket, not me. Making him the officer responsible. But, the future mother of his child called with an emergency and he couldn't make it! He asked me to go in his place to explain," he paused, taking a deep breath and shaking his head. "You know what? I'm not sorry. Well, I am, but not for everything! I'm only sorry that I didn't tell you the other night. That's the only thing I'm sorry for!" He whisper-shouted. His rant had attracted the attention of the patrons at tables near to us. Many were turned in their chairs, engrossed in the details of our argument.

"I…just…need a minute. I'm… sorry," I stammered, grabbing my jacket and purse. Standing up from the booth, I made my way through the now-crowded restaurant, apologizing to several people as I bumped them in my haste to get outside. I could hear Edward calling my name repeatedly, but I didn't stop.

_Fuck! I knew this was too good to be true! That HE was too good to be true. Great guy, my ass!_

Opening the door to the restaurant, the wind slapped me in the face, causing my eyes to water from the cold air. Unwilling to pause to put on my jacket, I fumbled in my attempt to get my arms through the sleeves.

_Wait. Stop for a minute, idiot. Think about what he said. _

My mind tried to sort through the mass of emotions flooding my system and analyze the facts. Betrayal was at the forefront, but a wave of understanding nearly knocked me off my feet.

_He wasn't there, Bella. He never saw you…_

I watched as people walked past me on the street, completely unaware of the war waging in my head. Edward hadn't seen me.

_Honestly, would I have treated that night any differently if I was in his shoes? I'd love to think so…_

_Put it into perspective, stupid. You're not a cop. _

_What if I learned of Edward before I met him? For instance, one of the other doctors was discussing a patient and I had overheard his name and description. If I bumped into him the next day in, let's say a coffee shop', and I figured out it was the same guy. Would I have told him that I knew of him before? _

_That's not the fucking same and you know it!_

_Yes, but it's the thought that fucking counts. _

_He deceived you!_

_He didn't have to tell me…_

I stopped dead in my tracks, in the middle of a busy city street, and understood I had made a big mistake.

_He was just doing his job, stupid! You would have done the same thing. If Edward saw the other night, just as you had, a one-time thing and nothing more, would you have told him you knew him through someone else? _

The answer in both my head and in my heart, said no.

_Did he invite me here today only to tell me this?_

_Find him! Let him explain! _

Turning around, I pushed through the throngs of people in an attempt to catch him before he left the restaurant. There was a break in the crowd and I saw Edward, looking around with a frantic expression on his beautiful face.

_He's looking for you, that has to mean something…_

"Bella!" he called out. "Bella! Wait!"

We met in the middle and as soon as we were within earshot of each other, "I'm sorry," came dripping from our lips at the same time.

"Bella, listen…"

"Edward, wait." I halted him. I need to clarify some things with you before you say anything else," I said, waiting.

"Alright."

"I need you to be completely honest with me, can you do that?" I asked.

"Yes, I can and I will," he responded but the look in his eyes is what allowed me to believe him. It was as if I could see everything, all of it, bare and begging for my understanding.

_It's as if he has no secrets…God, when did I turn into such a fucking sap?_

"Did you see me the night that I was pulled over?"

"No. Not even your driver's license. I was on the phone at the time, with Esme. My Uncle was sick and she was scared. Carlisle almost never gets sick and every time he does, she panics."

"If that's the case, how did you know it was me in the courtroom?" I questioned, still unclear.

"Well, Tyler described you that night. In vivid detail. The whole time I was there, I was wondering whether or not it was you, but when I called out the name and it was you who came out into the lobby, I knew for sure. You reinforced his opinion when you had your…episode."

"What does that mean?" I griped, remembering the rant.

"Tyler said that you were beautiful, even when you were angry, and he was right," he replied, looking directly into my eyes.

_He thinks I'm beautiful? Focus, dumbass._

"Why were you in court that day?"

"Honestly?" he asked and I gave him a look. Chuckling, he said, "Tyler didn't want to get in trouble for not showing up. He asked if I would go to court and talk to the judge, then wait until he could make it there in order to account for the night's actions. Unfortunately, the situation with the soon-to-be mother of his child took longer than he expected. I requested that the judge postpone the case because he wasn't there."

Wrapping my arms around myself, I took a deep breath before asking the more difficult questions. "Why didn't you tell me this until now?"

Edward paused, "Well, at first, I didn't think it mattered."

"Why not?" He didn't answer.

_Fuck, am I going to have to pry this out of him?_

"Edward, honestly, did you ever see this," and I gestured to the two us, "going past the other night?" I asked, looking down at the ground.

"No. I entertained what it would have been like during dinner but I wasn't sure. It wasn't until I woke up with you in the morning that I wanted something more," he whispered.

"Why did you ask me to breakfast? Was it just to tell me? To clear your conscience?" I asked, harshly.

"Not at all. I wanted to see you again. I…couldn't stop…thinking…about you," he stammered, appearing nervous.

"Why did you tell me now? You could have just walked away and never said anything. I would have never known."

"You're right. But, that's not what I wanted. That's not what I want now." he said, and I glanced up, looking at his face.

_Is he saying what I think he's saying?_

Edward continued, "Bella, there's something here, between us. I can feel it."

"I can feel it too," I breathed.

"I want to see where this goes."

"So do I," I said, taking a step closer to him.

"Are you sure?" he questioned anxiously.

"I think so," I said. Our lack of words spoke volumes, each silently acknowledging what we felt.

Placing both of his hands on my cheeks, his thumbs rubbed soft circles on my skin. Leaning down, he pressed his forehead against mine and looked directly into my eyes. "Bella, I'm so sorry. Really, I am. If had known, honestly, if I had any inkling or idea of what I know now, I would have told you in that courtroom."

Lifting my hand, I put my index finger to his lips, quieting him. "Tell me, Edward," I whispered, still holding his gaze. "Tell me you won't hide something like this, not again."

"I won't," he said, as one of his hands trailed from my face to hold me around my waist. Pulling me closer, he repeated, "I won't."

My eyes fluttered closed and his lips crashed to mine.

A/N: To all of you that read and review – thank you. There aren't words for how I love you…

HUGE fucking thanks to IHaveADickuh – my beta-bro

To the ladies in the LoD, thank you for letting me bitch, bounce ideas and otherwise just be my pervy and ridiculous self. , I could have never done this

To mah h00rs on Twitter, you fucking pwn me.

**Reviews help me write faster…really. Click mah box and leave me something… You know how I ****enjoy things in my box…wait, that didn't come out right… or did it? 0.o**

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